The Los Angeles Police Department launched an internal investigation late on Thursday with regard to a photograph posted on a celebrity gossip Web site that showed the injured and battered face of R&B star Rihanna, who turns 21 today, department officials announced in a statement.

 

Investigators are looking into the matter in an attempt to establish whether the shocking picture could be included in the case’s police evidence.

 

The snap, posted by TMZ.com at 8:39 p.m. Eastern Standard Time under the caption “Rihanna – The Face of a Battered Woman” revealed the face of a woman said to be the singer with her eyes closed, a fat lip and visible bruising to her forehead.

 

The Los Angeles Police Department is currently investigating an alleged confrontation between Rihanna and her boyfriend, 19-year-old fellow singer Chris Brown, who authorities said that wounded the star during an argument the couple had last week in a Hancock Park neighborhood hours before the Grammy Awards ceremony was due to take place.

 

In addition, the department released a statement saying that the picture appeared to have been taken during an official domestic violence investigation.

 

“The Los Angeles Police Department takes seriously its duty to maintain the confidentiality of victims of domestic violence,” the statement read. “The Department launched an immediate internal investigation and subsequently filed a personnel complaint. A violation of this type is considered serious misconduct, with penalties up to and including termination.”

 

Chris Brown was taken into police custody on February 8 on suspicion of making criminal threats but was not immediately charged with the felony because the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office explained that police had to find more evidence in the case. Thus, the star was released after posting a $50,000 bail.

 

Police sources have informed various publications that Rihanna was cooperating with investigators and was helping them build a domestic violence case against Chris Brown. Moreover, sources said that Rihanna had suffered several bruises, as well as a scratch on her face throughout the early morning altercation with her boyfriend, which took place soon after the couple left a pre-Grammy Awards party inside a rented Lamborghini. She allegedly received medical treatment at a “major medical facility,” a police source said.

Chris Brown hired a public relations company that dedicates to crisis management to issue a five-sentence statement in which he explains that media reports have made wrong deductions and that he is very sorry for the incident.

 

“Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired,” the statement read. “I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God’s help, to emerging a better person.” Furthermore, he said in the statement that he was “sorry and saddened,” while his dad was quoted by People last week as saying that his son was “very remorseful” and “concerned about the situation.”

 

Numerous showbiz figures defended both Chris Brown and Rihanna, explaining that the couple needs support during this phase of their relationship. Rapper Jay-Z told People magazine that Rihanna, whom he helped launch a career in music, is going through a tough period and that she is “very young” to cope with the situation. The hip-hop singer stood up for Rihanna in an attempt to urge media to take it easy on his pal.