Laughing Chris Brown is 'absolutely' sure he won't punch Rihanna in the face again

Singer Chris Brown on Monday told NBC host Matt Lauer that he was "absolutely" sure that he would never physically assault Rihanna again.

On the way home from a pre-Grammy's party in 2009, an argument between the two singers had turned into a a violent assault on Rihanna. A photo later released by TMZ showed that Rihanna's face had suffered a horrific beating at the hands of Brown.

Brown eventually pleaded guilty to felony assault and was sentenced to five years probation and one year of domestic violence counseling. But by January of 2013, Rihanna had confirmed to Rolling Stone that the couple was back together.

On Monday, Brown told Lauer that he had been "humbled" by the ordeal.

"From me losing everything to me having to regain public opinion or whatever it is," he explained. "Most importantly knowing that whatever I did was totally wrong, you know? And having to kind of deal with myself and kind of forgive myself and in the same breath. And, you know, being able to apologize to, you know, Rihanna. And being able to be that man that can be a man, you know?"

Lauer noted that many fans had been worried about Rihanna's welfare after it was announced that the two were together again.

"They thought, this is going to end badly," Lauer pointed out.

"I did my 52 weeks of counseling and learned that it's absolutely wrong," Brown insisted. "It was domestic violence counseling, a 52-week program. Every Monday in Virginia, you know, I remember going and, you know, just sitting in there and just like, you know, why did I do what I did?"

"And you're sure it would never happen again?" Lauer pressed.

"Absolutely," Brown laughed.

A 2000 study published in the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology found that 41 percent of male batterers re-assaulted their victims within a 30-month period after being referred to domestic violence programs by the court. A 2004 study by the Center for Court Innovation also found that 62 percent of domestic violence defendants in the Bronx were rearrested within a two-year period.

Rihanna told ABC's Diane Sawyer in 2009 that she had learned that it takes "eight or nine" incidences of domestic assault before the victim finally leaves her abuser.

"When I realized that my selfish decision for love could result into some young girl getting killed, I could not be easy with that part," she said. "I couldn’t be responsible … If Chris never hit me again, who’s to say that their boyfriend won’t … kill these girls."

"Don’t react off of love. F love," the Barbadian recording artist added.

In late 2012, Brown showed that his temper was still not under control when he engaged in an angry Twitter attack on comedienne Jenny Johnson.

"[T]ake them teeth out when u Sucking my dick hoe," Brown wrote. "I should fart while ur giving me top."

"Let me leave this bitch alone... It's good to know my worth by listening to a bitch that is worthless."

Watch this video from NBC's Today Show, broadcast April 1, 2014.

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