Nice to see Jay-Z supporting his mistress friend in a time of needPosted in Interview Tagged: Chris Brown, Jay-Z, Rihanna

Jay-Z struck a serious note Saturday when asked for his words of support for Rihanna. "This is a real situation," he said in Phoenix at the Sprite Green presents the Third Annual Two Kings dinner with Jay-Z and Lebron James, as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend. "You have to have compassion for others. Just imagine it being your sister or mom and then think about how we should talk about that," the hip-hop mogul, 39, continued. "I just think we should all support her. She's going through a tough time. You have to realize she's a young girl, as well. She's very young." Rihanna, 20, was allegedly attacked in Los Angeles on Feb. 8 by boyfriend Chris Brown, 19. He was arrested and may face charges from the district attorney. Rihanna's father, Ronald Fenty, tells PEOPLE that his daughter, whom he saw Thursday in Barbados, is bruised, but "she will be all right." Asked if he'd seen Rihanna, Jay-Z replied, "I don't want to go into it."