Leona Lewis 'blamed' for Rihanna attack

Leona Lewis has been forced to deny she sparked Chris Brown's violent 'attack' on his girlfriend Rihanna just hours before the Grammys on Sunday.

It's now claimed Leona's friendly chat with Brown sent the Umbrella star into a spin after they shared a joke together.

Witnesses at the pre-Grammy event claim: 'At one point, Rihanna caught Chris flirting with Leona.'

'They were carrying on and laughing, and Rihanna saw Chris with his hand on the small of Leona's back. It may have been innocent, but that set Rihanna off,' the insider alleged to Star magazine.

But now friends of British sensation Leona insist the Bleeding Love singer would never have flirted with Rihanna's man.

'I can't imagine this has anything to do with Leona. Leona's not like that. She wouldn't flirt and is happy in her own relationship,' her friend told Metro.

Another said Leona was busy celebrating her nominations with her boyfriend Lou.

A spokeswoman for Lewis, 23, insisted: 'This has nothing to do with Leona'.

Meanwhile, the fallout over Brown's alleged attack on the Barbadian beauty continues to grow after she was hospitalised with reports of facial injuries.

Insiders close to police investigations reportedly allege Rihanna, 20, has told cops her 19-year-old boyfriend attempted to 'choke her' and threatened to 'kill' her in their car.

It comes as Brown's own stepdad says he is not surprised about the allegations made about his son.

Donnelle Hawkins says: 'I wouldn't be surprised.'

'He has to take responsibility for his own actions.'

Meanwhile, US rapper Kanye West has branded the alleged assault on his friend 'devastating'.

'I feel like that's my baby sis and I would do any and everything to help her in any situation', West told US radio.

Meanwhile, Brown's friend, rapper T.I has stepped up to defend the 'Kiss Kiss' singer telling he is only 'human'. The loyalty came as a string of radio stations across America have begun boycotting his music.

Rihanna has been discharged from a Los Angeles hospital and has cancelled her 21st birthday celebration because of her 'injuries'.

Via metro.co.uk