chris brown

By now you've probably all heard that hip-hop singer Chris Brown is under investigation for allegedly assaulting a woman many people believe is his girlfriend Rihanna.

(Living in the dark? Get the full scoop here.)

It seems like more people are captivated by this news than the average piece of Hollywood gossip. I'm sure the scant details contribute to that fascination, as does the fact that both of the parties involved aren't even 21 years old.

But more than anything else, I think the Chris Brown story hooks people because it ignites one of those "but I thought they were so happy" reactions.

Even when the media controls our perceptions of a celebrity couple's happiness, there's a genuine sense of shock when we hear news alleging that couple is something other than what we thought.

Regardless of whether the story is true, it highlights an important fact:

You can't judge any relationship -- from Hollywood to Columbus -- by what you seen on the outside.