Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images file

Singer Frank Ocean at the GQ Men of the Year Party in Los Angeles on Nov. 13.

LOS ANGELES -- Rising R&B star Frank Ocean said on Saturday he will not press charges against singer Chris Brown, who he said had "jumped" him last week in a parking lot fracas.

The encounter between Ocean and Brown still could derail Brown's efforts to remain in compliance with his probation stemming from his 2009 assault against singer Rihanna, his on-again, off-again girlfriend, a legal expert said.

Earlier in the week, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Ocean was "desirous of prosecution in this incident," which occurred on January 27 outside a recording studio in West Hollywood.

Representatives for Brown could not be reached for comment on Saturday.

Sheriff's deputies had cited witnesses as saying Grammy-winner Brown, 23, punched Ocean, 25, in the brief altercation.

But Ocean on Saturday posted a message on www.frankocean.com saying he wanted to move past the incident.

"I'll choose sanity," he wrote. "No criminal charges. No civil lawsuit. Forgiveness, albeit difficult, is wisdom. Peace, albeit trite, is what I want in my short life. Peace."

Brown and Ocean both are nominated in the best urban contemporary album category at the Grammys Awards, which will be announced February 10 in Los Angeles.

On the day of the parking lot incident Ocean had said on Twitter that he "got jumped by chris and a couple guys." He also said he cut his finger and Brown was later photographed with a cast on his right hand.

Brown, whose hit songs include "Look at Me Now" and "Run It!," was placed on probation for five years for the assault on Rihanna. He risks having his probation revoked if charges are filed against him.

But if the judge overseeing his case suspects Brown broke the law, the judge could move to find him in violation of probation even without a criminal charge, said Steve Cron, a defense attorney not connected to the case and an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University School of Law.

"Then, Brown would be entitled to have a hearing with witnesses and his lawyers questioning witnesses and so forth," Cron said.

Slideshow: Chris Brown

Chris Pizzello / AP file

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Cron said prosecutors still can file charges even if a suspected victim does not cooperate.

If Brown is found to have violated his probation, a judge could send him to jail or order counseling, he said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said that if Ocean does not want to press charges, it would be difficult to proceed with the case.

Brown's entourage and that of Canadian rapper Drake were involved in a June 2012 brawl in a New York nightclub. No arrests or charges were brought in that case.

Danny Moloshok / REUTERS file

Chris Brown in 2011.

Chris Brown threw himself back into the headlines Monday night when he posted an Instagram picture of a painting of Jesus Christ on the cross and wrote, "Painting the way I feel today. Focus on what matters!"

The controversial singer was already back in the news thanks to an alleged fight over a West Hollywood parking space that reportedly took place between Brown and singer Frank Ocean.

Authorities responded Sunday night to a call of a fight involving six men, the LA County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.

"Deputies talked to witnesses who stated that Chris Brown and the victim were involved in an altercation over a parking space," the statement added. "The altercation allegedly led to Chris Brown punching the victim."

Steve Whitmore, the LA County Sheriff's spokesman, said that no charges have been filed against Brown yet, but that Ocean "is desirous of prosecution in this incident."

On Monday, Ocean tweeted, "got jumped by chris and a couple guys. lol. i only wish (Ocean's dog) everest was there." A minute after tweeting that, he also tweeted, "cut my finger now I can't play w two hands at the grammys."

Ocean and Brown are both nominated for Grammy Awards. That ceremony will be held Feb. 10. 

A spokesperson for Ocean told TODAY he had no comment.

As for Brown, more than 2700 people have commented on his Christ artwork.

Wrote one, "Glad to see you are feeling pain like Jesus ... but there is no Jesus here, you burnt that bridge a long time (ago)."

Another fan was more supportive, saying, "You have good in you. I just want to remind you that if you have faith, nothing can separate us from our Lord Jesus."

And yet another moonlighted as an art critic, writing, "You forgot the arms, the outline is sloppy, there isn't any depth, the characters in the back look like midgets, you forgot 'INRI,' the anatomy is terrible, the green makes everything look nauseous."

Brown has a famous fan, too. In a cover story in Billboard magazine's upcoming issue, teen singer Justin Bieber said that while he won't be attending the Grammys this year, but he'll be pulling for Brown. "I'm a fan," Bieber told the magazine. "His music is really good. That's what they should focus on: the music."

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Maybe it's just something in the air -- on the heels of Washington and Colorado voters moving to legalize marijuana in November -- but it's hard not to notice a correlation between the wave of pro-pot political action and the number of celebrities who are very open about their use of the drug.

Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images file

Rapper Snoop Dogg -- now Snoop Lion -- performs at The Wiltern in Los Angeles in 2011.

R&B singer Frank Ocean, who is up for six Grammy Awards next month, tweeted on Thursday, "hi guys, i smoke pot. ok guys, bye." It was his way of reacting after news got out that he was cited for pot possession during a traffic stop on New Year's eve.

As CBS' late-night host Jimmy Kimmel prepares to move to the 11:35 time slot and take on Jay Leno, he's featured on the cover of the new Rolling Stone. He opens the interview by asking, "If we smoke weed right now, is that on the record?" The answer, obviously, was yes, as the piece notes that the comic left to retrieve his "stash" and "returns with a vacuum-sealed baggie bulging with buds the size of baby Brussels sprouts."

Rolling Stone certainly has never shied from reporting on the intersection between drugs and pop culture. The magazine recently listed seven states it views as next in line in what it calls the crumbling of the "Berlin Wall of pot prohibition."

Snoop (Dogg) Lion has long wielded a sledgehammer and taken his whacks at that perceived wall. You'd have to be really really high to be surprised by the rapper preaching positively about pot. He told GQ magazine for its January issue: "It's from the earth -- it's not some man-made s---. It's actually growing from the ground straight to you, so it's just like eating a vegetable."

But it was Snoop's boast that he "would love to show" his kids the "right way" to smoke weed that raised eyebrows and generated headlines around the web.

And finally, from a man who could teach all these upstarts a thing or two about pot talk. In November, country legend Willie Nelson, while promoting his book "Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die" on TODAY, told Matt Lauer and a national TV audience, "we don't have to fly to Amsterdam any more" to smoke, and that he has seen no side effects from his use of the drug.

So, it's worth asking, as the political and legal stance on marijuana begins to shift in the US, does it still surprise you when celebrities are open about their use of the drug? Does it alter your opinion of them one way or the other? Share your thoughts on Facebook.

Related content:

• Video: Willie Nelson: 'I haven't seen any side effects' of pot
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• 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' moving to 11:35

Matt Sayles / AP

Frank Ocean.

Target has shelved the idea of putting Frank Ocean's debut album in its stores. The mega retailer announced it will not carry "Channel Orange," a decision that came after the singer revealed his first love was a man via Tumblr last Tuesday, according to Billboard.

But did Ocean's coming-out revelation have anything to do with it?

MORE: Frank Ocean's not alone: Five other singers who've come out as gay

Not at all, according to statements from Target execs and, later, Ocean's manager, Christian Clancy.

Rather, the decision was reportedly in response to Def Jam's choice to sell the album one week ahead of its scheduled release date via iTunes, which is the only digital seller of the album until July 17.

PHOTOS: Celebs who've come out as gay

But, that didn't stop a bit of drama from brewing once Target announced its decision.

"Target has refused to carry Frank's album because of iTunes exclusive," Clancy's initial tweet on the matter read (which he later deleted). "Interesting since they also donate to non-equal rights organizations."

MORE: Beyonce's ode to Frank Ocean: "Brave," "fearless" for revealing he loved a man

Reps for Target quickly responded, telling Billboard in a statement, "The claims made about Target's decision to not carry the Frank Ocean album are absolutely false. Target supports inclusivity and diversity in every aspect of our business. Our assortment decisions are based on a number of factors, including guest demand.

"Target has a longstanding tradition of supporting music and artistry that reflects the diverse landscape of American culture. Our history of partnering with diverse artists includes recent partnerships with a variety of musicians, such as Ricky Martin, B.o.B., and Gloria Estefan."

Following Target's statement, Clancy later reneged on his first tweet, writing Wednesday, "I apologize for my comments about Target. They are not carrying Frank's album because it went digital first. Not for ANY other reason...My response was simply an emotional knee jerk reaction...Stop. Breath. Do the best you can. Be honest. Keep it moving."

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