UPDATE: T.I. put a somewhat different spin on things in a statement released Tuesday afternoon by his rep at Atlantic Records:
"After careful consideration I realized I made the mistake of commenting before understanding the situation. I myself am no stranger to media scrutiny. My only intention was to support both Rihanna and Chris during these times. My heart goes out to both of them."
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Given allegations that he beat girlfriend Rihanna, some may feel Chris Brown's career is already dead and gone, but pal T.I. disagrees.
Last night on Last Call With Carson Daily, the rapper, who's no stranger to hot water himself, shared the tips he gave the troubled "Forever" singer.
"I spoke to him today," he said. "He's cool, you know. He's a little concerned about the situation, but he's still the same Chris. I told him, 'This too shall pass.' "
T.I. admitted he didn't know exactly what happened but stressed that "we're celebrities, we're entertainers, but we're still human—all of us. Don't expect us not to make mistakes, because we will."
But Rihanna's former tour mate, Kanye West, has a very different response to the situation.
"She has the potential to be the greatest artist of all time and, in that sense, I feel like that's my baby sis and I would do any and everything to help her in any situation," the "Stronger" wordsmith told E! News' Ryan Seacrest this morning. "I don't want to speak more into the specifics with that situation, but all I'll say is it's just so devastating.
"I feel like, just as a person, I don’t care how famous she is or even if she just worked at McDonald's, that should never happen. It should never come to that place."
(Originally published Feb. 10, 2009 at 9:45 a.m. PT)