Washington, Feb 17 : Hip-hop star Akon and Hollywood actress Gabrielle Union have offered support to Rihanna, who was allegedly attacked by Chris Brown, and have urged her to be strong.

The `Umbrella' hitmaker was left with a split lip, a bloody nose and bite marks on her hands after Brown allegedly attacked her following a heated argument.

However, after much of speculation over the incident, Brown has publicly said that he was `saddened' by the incident, which left Rihanna needing hospital treatment.

Gabrielle Union, who is a mutual pal of Rihanna and Brown, has asked Rihanna to stay strong, and is hoping the high profile case will make people rally against domestic violence.

"I know them both. Unfortunately, no one knows all the facts yet. what I think is great about this unfortunate situation is it can get us talking about violence. violence is never the answer. It''s good to get that dialogue started. I wish this wasn''t the catalyst for that. it''s never good to use violence as a means to an end," Contactmusic quoted Gabrielle as saying.

While Gabrielle has asked Rihanna to stay strong, Akon has asked her not to lose positivism in life.

"Keep doing what you''re doing baby. Keep things positive! She''s a strong woman. I think she''ll get through it," Akon said.

Meanwhile, other celebrities like Jay-Z and Jessica Alba have also offered support to Rihanna, who has gone into hiding after the incident. (ANI)