Rihanna believes the violent altercation with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown earlier this year has made her a stronger person.

The Take A Bow singer was beaten by Brown in February – but despite the pain she went through, Rihanna says she has come out of the trauma as a whole new, better person.

“The way I live my life, even the person that I am now is different. I have grown up a lot. I’m a new woman,” says RiRi.

“You have to go through things in life to come out of it a better and stronger person and even though this whole experience was awful, I have come out of it stronger.”