Rihanna & Chris Brown: Singer Announces Karrueche Tran Split, Cites Rihanna

Chris Brown has announced that he split with girlfriend Karrueche Tran, citing his renewed friendship with ex-girlfriend Rihanna.

The performer released the following statement to several news outlets:

"I have decided to be single to focus on my career. I love Karrueche very much but I don't want to see her hurt over my friendship with Rihanna. I'd rather be single allowing us to both be happy in our lives."

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Rihanna and Brown were spotted for the third time together this week when they attended Jay-Z's concert at the Barclays Stadium in Brooklyn on Wednesday, Oct. 3.

Rap Radar founder Elliott Wilson tweeted a photo of the pair sitting together in the VIP section at the arena. The singers were sitting behind Jay-z's wife Beyonce and Jay's Roc Nation artist Rita Ora.

In another tweet, Wilson wrote: "Me thinks Rihanna just entered VIP with Chris Brown. Wow."

In the photo, Brown's arm is stretched across the back of Rihanna's chair, a sign that their outing was more than platonic. A concertgoer told Hollywood Life, "[Rihanna and Chris] were holding hands at one point and kissed last night!"

Before their date Brown tweeted, "Both r Free from it all!" 

Shortly after the concert, Rihanna tweeted, "Tough times don't last.... But tough people do!!!" 

Tran and Brown were staying together at Trump Soho in New York City this week while Rihanna has been staying at the Gansevoort Hotel which is also in Manhattan.

Brown was photographed several times jetting back and forth between both Rihanna and Tran, sparking reports of a love triangle.

Tran reportedly had an argument with Brown inside of his vehicle outside of the Trump Soho after leaving Rihanna's hotel.

"Chris left Rihanna's hotel on Oct. 2 and headed over to the Trump Soho to pick up Karrueche," a source told Hollywood Life. "After a day of shopping, Karrueche got into the vehicle where they both got into a heated argument."

The source added Tran gave Brown an ultimatum, forcing him to choose between the aspiring model and the "We Found Love" singer.

"She mad at the [boy] and said to him 'I'm leaving youre triffling punk ass' and said 'f-k you.' He tried to calm her down - told her he didn't want her to leave and went after her, but she scooted on him," another source close to brown told Hollywood Life.

The following day Tran tweeted, "take off" hinting she may have been leaving New York to head back to Los Angeles where she resides.

Several hours after Tran's cryptic tweet, Rihanna and Brown were photographed leaving the Bajan beauty's hotel five minutes apart to attend the Jay-Z concert together.

After the photo of Brown and Rihanna sitting together at the concert went viral, Tran tweeted, "Bye baby."

Brown and Tran have dated for a little over a year before the split this week.