Chris Brown has split from his girlfriend Karrueche Tran so he can continue building a friendship with his ex Rihanna.

The "Kiss Kiss" hitmaker broke up with Rihanna three years ago after he infamously left her battered and bruised during an argument on the eve of the 2009 Grammy Awards.

He was charged with assault, placed on probation, and ordered to stay away from his ex, and he attempted to move on from the troubled romance by dating model Karrueche Tran.

However, Brown and the "Umbrella" singer have since reignited their friendship and the restraining order was lifted last year, prompting the former lovers to team up twice in the studio.

They have both been in New York this week and have been spotted hanging out together on three separate occasions, sparking rumors of a possible romantic reconciliation.

The strongest sign yet came on Wednesday night when they were photographed in the VIP section at Jay-Z's concert in Brooklyn, with Brown draping his arm around the back of the Bajan beauty's seat.

Now it has emerged that Brown has called off his relationship with Tran, citing Rihanna as the reason for their break-up.

In a statement to HollywoodLife.com, he writes, "I have decided to be single to focus on my career. I love Karrueche very much but I don't want to see her hurt over my friendship with Rihanna. I'd rather be single allowing us to both be happy in our lives."

Tran hinted at a potential break-up on Wednesday night with a cryptic Twitter post which read, "Bye baby."

Rihanna and Brown have shown off their continued friendship over the past few months, with the two partying together during a vacation in France and sharing a quick kiss at the MTV Video Music Awards in September. Rihanna also called him the "love of her life" during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in August.