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Chris Brown was – and still is – in love with Rihanna, he says.

But he wasn’t emotionally prepared to deal with rough patches.

“I’m not saying domestic violence is a part of relationships,” he said when asked by Larry King on CNN’s Larry King Live. “But we’re both young, nobody taught us how to love one another. No one taught us how to control our emotions, our anger.”

In the gut-wrenching, hour-long interview, his first since beating Rihanna in February, Brown said all he can do is hope for a “bunch of better tomorrows.”

“I’ve said countless times how sorry I am – to Rihanna,” Brown said. “It’s a night I wish I could just take back … I feel totally ashamed of what I did.”

Brown repeatedly refused to discuss the specifics of the fight and why he treated Rihanna the way he did, at one point saying he didn’t even remember.

Clearly nervous, with his voice cracking, Brown just misspoke there. He was shy on details, but at the same time, didn’t make excuses – nor has he ever.

Chris Brown on the hot seat on Larry King Live.

“One of the interesting things about Chris, he wanted to take full responsibility for this immediately,” said his attorney, Mark Geragos. “He did not want to deny what happened. There was a lot of remorse. That’s unusual in my line of work.”

As for the punishment he received – five years’ probation, counseling and community labor – Chris Brown feels there are better ways for him to help.

“I feel like with what I’m capable of doing as far as influencing people, influencing kids, I could do a lot more to help the community other than picking up trash,” he said, adding, “I’m not saying it’s wrong, but there’s a lot more I could do.”

Geragos thinks that counseling will certainly help Brown, whom he’s come to love “like a son or a nephew.” Brown said “I don’t think, at the end of the day, my career’s over,” and that he’s “pretty sure [he and Rihanna] can be friends.”

Follow the jump for a video of Chris Brown’s full interview on Larry King Live

 
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