Rihanna and Chris Brown's secret romance, rumors of a rapidly approaching wedding date, the Bajan singer's rapid rise to fame, and the fact that Chris Brown was never arrested for stealing a woman's iPhone in Florida last month can all be explained by a wacky conspiracy theory sparked by Rihanna's new tattoo, a slanted cross that appears to have been made by cutting out a slice of the flesh in her neck, rather than by injecting ink into the skin like a normal person.

Rihanna's crazy new tattoo may just be the clue that unravels the Illuminati conspiracy behind her rocky relationship with Chris Brown.

The slanted cross is actually a symbol of the Freemasons, who are believed by some to overlap or possibly even be under the control of the Illuminati, a supposed secret society consisting of some of the most powerful people in the world and bent on controlling global affairs through various governments and corporations with the goal of establishing a new world order.

But how does the new tattoo and the Illuminati explain Rihanna and Chris Brown's on-again/off-again relationship? In The Word According 2 Heaven Hollywood, supposed ex-Illuminati member John Todd is quoted as once saying, [N]ot only are their illuminati members but also there are Illuminati marriages. When asked to elaborate, Todd explained, Fixed marriages. An Illuminati member is sworn to secrecy so what is the best way to keep what is going on a secret? [It] is to marry someone into the same thing [sic].

With this somewhat nutty explanation in mind, Rihanna's defiant decision to reunite with the man who beat her face to a pulp just three years ago begins to make sense when you realize that it's not actually her decision. If their relationship is being dictated by Illuminati leaders, then the two hip-hop stars have no choice but to marry each other.

Still not convinced? In the music video for her hit single S&M, the words Princess of the Illuminati flash on the screen two separate times. The song's lyrics are generally considered to be erotic and scandalous, but some have theorized that they may be hiding a second meaning referencing the conspiracy. Even if Rihanna isn't a part of the Illuminati, she seems to be enjoying the media buzz that comes with these wacky conspiracies.

Rihanna has denied conspiracy theories tying her to the Illuminati in the past, even calling an unexpected news conference to tell the press that the rumors were completely unfounded.

It's ridiculous that this won't go away, Rihanna said in her statement. The facts speak for themselves, and my talent speaks for itself. I'm not a party in any way to some all-powerful secret society somehow fixing the fate of the world behind closed doors for nefarious ends. That's just nonsense.

An anonymous source claiming close ties with the Illuminati told The Daily Quarterly that the Bajan singer is in fact involved with the secret society.

Her talent is not commensurate with her level of success, the source said.