Tyrese Gibson said during a recent interview that he is very concerned for his good friend Chris Brown. He says that the pop star is having a tough time coping with the allegations that he physically abused Rihanna.

“Although he appears to be really strong through all of this, it’s really taking a toll on his spirit,” Tyrese told People.com “People like me and Puff (Diddy), we’re just trying to show him love and keep his spirits up while he’s going through all of the heat, and there are a lot people doing the same for Rihanna. It’s really hard for him to focus right now on his music, even though he really wants to,” said Gibson. “At the end of the day, I’m not trying to justify it because wrong is wrong, but unfortunately, us as entertainers, we have to grow up on stage with a lot of people looking at us. And a lot of people forget that he’s 19, she’s only 21.”