Rihanna 'Excited' for Chris Brown's Career Success

Rihanna says she's put the resentment towards Chris Brown behind her and is happy for his current success in the music business.

Rihanna opens up to Esquire magazine -- which just named the R&B star its Sexiest Woman Alive -- about her former boyfriend, saying: "Obviously, I had some resentment toward him for a while, for obvious reasons. But I've put that behind me. It was taking up too much of my time. It was too much anger."

MORE: Rihanna's nude photo shoot for Esquire. Is she the Sexiest Woman Alive?

She also tells the magazine she's "always been a fan" of Brown's music and this remains the same. "I really like the music he's putting out. It's incredible to see how he pulled out of it the way he did. Even when the world seemed like it was against him, you know?"

Brown, 21, is currently serving a five-year probation term after pleading guilty to
felony assault for an attack on Rihanna before the 2009 Grammy Awards. "I'm really excited to see the breakthrough he's had in his career. I would never wish anything horrible for him. Never. I never have.

Brown's album Graffiti, which he released 10 months after the attack, was a commercial disappointment. But his latest release, F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies), debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in March and has reached gold status.

For more of Rihanna's interview, check out Esquire online or pick up the November issue of the magazine when it hits newsstands October 18.