Publicist explains Chris Brown's skull tattoo

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LOS ANGELES, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Chris Brown's publicist says the U.S. singer's new neck tattoo is not a portrait of his ex-girlfriend Rihanna as Internet buzz has suggested.

"His tattoo is a sugar skull [associated with the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead] and a MAC cosmetics design he saw," Brown's representative said in a statement to TMZ Tuesday. "It is not Rihanna or an abused woman as erroneously reported."

The tattoo artist who administered the ink told the celebrity news website Brown gave him the sugar skull design from a MAC advertisement to follow.

Brown and Rihanna broke up in 2009 after a heated physical confrontation in a car. Brown pleaded guilty to assault and was initially court-ordered to stay away from her, but after the restraining order was lifted, the pair have appeared friendly in public and frequently communicate with each other via Twitter, sparking rumors they are again dating.