London, Aug 20 (IANS): Singer Rihanna bared her feelings about ex-boyfriend Chris Brown saying that she still loves him.

"I still love him. I think he was the love of my life. He was my first love and I see that he loved me the same way," Rihanna told Oprah Winfrey on a recent episode of "Oprah's Next Chapter".

"We have maintained a very close friendship ever since the restraining order was dropped... We are very, very close friends. We built a trust again and that's it. We love each other and we probably always will, and that's not anything that we're going to try to change," she added.

The 24-year-old admitted it was hard for her to see Brown again because she still had feelings for him, reports aceshowbiz.com.

The couple split in 2009 after Rihanna complained of physical assault by Brown.

"It's awkward because I still love him. My stomach drops and I have to maintain this poker face and not let it get to the outer part of me. I have to maintain that and suppress it," she said.

Despite what happened between them, she still cared for him.

"I truly love him. The main thing for me is he's at peace. I'm not at peace if he's not happy or he's still lonely. I care. It actually matters that he finds that peace," she explained and even cried during the interview.