Rihanna has moved a step closer to confirming her relationship with R&B star Chris Brown, by admitting they are very close.

The pair have frustrated fans and the press by refusing to speak out about their relationship - despite being inseparable for months, and even holidaying together in the Caribbean.

Speaking to Elle magazine, Rihanna, 20, stops short of confessing her love for 19-year-old Brown - but she admits they are more than just friends. The Umbrella hitmaker says, "We've always been friends. But we're very close now." (wenn)