They say honesty is the best policy. For Chris Brown however, honesty is going to be the only thing that can save his career in the eyes of fans and companies that may choose to partner with him in the future. While the former “Kiss Kiss” singer has been plagued with a severe amount of both negative press and the loss of endorsement deals since February, public relation professionals believe the world will be forgiving in a few years. “It’ll take Chris longer to recover,” a source told MSNBC recently. “The key word in this is authenticity. It’s got to be authentic. For Chris to come out and do something against domestic violence, to go to counseling, partnering with somebody on the issue, if he does that, there has to be a lot of follow-through,” says Matt Delzell, a group account director at a firm that matches celebrity endorsers with companies like State Farm and Frito Lay. Comparing Brown to other previously embattled stars like Kobe Bryant, who endured severe public scrutiny and backlash after being accused of assaulting a woman during the summer of 2003 it is possible that Brown, if honest like Bryant, may eventually be welcomed with open arms. Bryant, married prior to his 2003 case, was covered relentlessly much like Brown and Rihanna in today’s news. However, Bryant, who avoided a criminal sentence, has successfully put the case behind him with many others including the media seemingly forgetting the ordeal that nearly cost the highly regarded NBA player his career. With Bryant’s honesty in mind, as evidenced in a press conference and public apology of sorts following the ordeal, in which he admitted to having an adulterous affair with a hotel worker, sources say Chris Brown may be forgiven if he is honest and forthcoming about what happened with Rihanna and what he is going to do to make sure it never happens again. That, sources say, is key to his future. “It has be authentic, or else the damage from it will hurt him more than it will help,” says Delzell. Chris Brown is due in court April 7.
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