Chris Brown slammed for 'smug taunt' after war of words with women's abuse charity

Chris Brown is facing a wave of criticism as he prepares for two concerts in South Africa this December. A women's rights group, Women for Change, has initiated a petition to prevent him from performing due to his past allegations of abuse and violence.

The petition, which was launched on October 2 on Change.org, has already gathered over 37,000 signatures - with Brown responding with a taunt to the petition .

The aim is to stop Chris - who pleaded guilty to assaulting ex-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009 - from performing in South Africa, a country that the BBC reports has one of the "highest rates of femicide and gender-based violence in the world, later this year. As per the website, the group wants the promoters, the South African government, and organizers to."

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The group is urging promoters, the South African government, and organizers to "reconsider" allowing the artist to perform at Johannesburg's FNB Stadium in mid-December. Despite the controversy, the Loyal singer sold out the 94,000-person capacity stadium in less than two hours, leading to a second show being added.

Women For Change also posted the petition on their Instagram page, prompting a response from the artist: "Can't wait to come," followed by a red love heart emoji. This comment didn't go unnoticed by fans, with one sharing a screenshot of it on a popular entertainment thread on Reddit.

User @kris_jbb demanded an explanation: "Can someone explain how can this man abuse that many women, show no remorse, act smug about it and still have a career?"

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This was shared through the Instagram account Women For Change (@womenforchangesa).

One user, @Curiosities, replied with a grim analysis: "Patriarchy, misogyny, and wealth. Clearly feel (and has been) untouchable. And he's supported by a number of women, both as fans and who work with him,".

Meanwhile, @PhysicsFew7423 confessed their temptation: "I would risk my stable career to knock this man down a peg."

Another, @quickso, fumed over the individual's attitude: "That this is such a smug taunt is so beyond infuriating. He has no shame. I am convinced he has no ability to feel remorse."

Echoing this sentiment, @RoutineDisaster1234 denounced: "The audacity... he is genuinely such a sick individual," while @Substantial-Canary15 highlighted a concerning fact: "3,231 people agree with him which is just sad af," referencing those who liked the troublesome post from the rapper.

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