Rihanna Apologizes for Ignoring Disgruntled Journalists on Her 777 Tour

Rihanna's seven-day, seven-country, seven-concert 777 tour will likely go down in history as one of the worst-ever catastrophes to strike music journalists.

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As the days blurred into one, the group of 200-plus journos invited on the "We Found Love" singer's Boeing 777 began venting frustrations on Twitter and posting dispatches to the outside world that painted the experience as pretty bleak. Among the complaints: lack of sleep; red-eye flights; not-great food; and worst of all, the silent treatment from Rihanna herself. After pouring champagne for the press on Day One of the tour while en route to Mexico City from LA, she'd apparently gone into hiding on what was supposed to be a triple-VIP party plane.

A quasi-rebellion ensued on the fifth day, with mid-flight footage showing the frustrated media pack chanting "Just one quote!" and "RiRi!" in unison as an Australian streaked down the aisles.

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Rihanna's 777 journey, in support of her forthcoming album fittingly titled Unapologetic, ends Wednesday in New York. With 30 minutes 'till landing on Tuesday, she surfaced to apologize for her disappearing act.

"A few journalists joked about staging a media blackout, imagining a scenario where Rihanna comes out and is shunned in favor of sleep. This did not happen," recalls Fuse TV's Jason Newman. "After answering probing questions like, 'Will you be playing Ireland next year?,' the singer explained her absence on the tour and apologized to journalists. 'I know you guys got barely any dirt,' said Rihanna. 'But I had to be good. I still sound like sh-t. It's impossible to spend time with everybody, and I'm sorry I didn't. Usually I will be partying back here [in coach], balls to the wall. But I had to pay attention and take care of my health since I was on the plane all the time.'"

Spin's Julianne Escobedo Shepherd, who also documented the "cray" experience, tweeted afterward: "Came home, coughed, puked bile in the sink, nobody in my apt cares that i'm alive, going to die now, put rihanna's face on my epitaph."

Twitter: @ErinLCarlson

Email: erin.carlson@thr.com