Can you work with your ex?

In light of the collaboration between Rihanna and Chris Brown, we ask if it's possible to work with your ex despite the hurt and pain.

Rihanna's decision to collaborate with her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown on two new tracks has been met with mixed feelings by fans. Rihanna is singing in the remix of Brown's Turn Up the Music while he is on the remix of her song Birthday Cake. The singers leaked the tracks, available on the internet, via Twitter on Monday 20 February 2011.

Riri and Brown's turbulent three-year relationship ended after he admitted to assaulting her in 2009 at a pre-Grammy Awards party. The image of a battered Rihanna shocked the world. Brown is currently serving five years' probation.

Their decision to team up has led to questions of appropriateness. Though it is on a professional level, some of her fans feel the reconciliation condones domestic violence. It has also sparked rumours that the couple are romantically linked again. Chris Brown's birthday tweet to Rihanna on Monday further fuelled the gossip.

According to the UK's Daily Mail, fans expressed their concerns via Twitter.
One said: "Rihanna and Chris Brown again, eh? That's a great example for all the younger girls that look up to you, Rihanna. High five."
Another added: "How quickly we all forget... Remember when Chris Brown almost killed Rihanna? No one was talking about cake then."
And one fan said: "Rihanna and Chris Brown reunite on remix called 'Remember when money was more important than you hitting me?'"

Perhaps it is possible to forgive and work with an ex again. Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt proved that it is after they continued to run their production company together, despite their traumatic split. Would you be able to work with your ex? 

Wikihow provides the following tips for working with your ex:

• Always be nice. No matter how bad they hurt you or disrespect you, it shows what a mature and good-hearted person you are if you still manage to treat them with utmost respect (even if they might not deserve it).

• Do not let your emotions interfere with your work. Don't be in a bad mood if you have to work with that person, because then you're letting them distract you and stop you from doing a great job at whatever you do.

• Remember that you are a professional, and act accordingly.

• Have fun at work. Don't let them screw up your day, week or year.

Source: Wikihow