Ne-Yo thinks Chris Brown is unfairly being held up as an example.

Chris is currently in a Virginia jail awaiting trial for an assault charge, and stands accused of breaking Parker Adams' nose when he tried to insert himself in a photograph the singer was taking with two female fans outside the W Hotel in Washington D.C. last October.

Quizzed about the 'Fine China' singer's predicament by a TMZ photographer, Ne-Yo told the gossip site: "They like to make an example of celebrities, that's how it is. Regardless of who he is, they're making an example of him. It's not right. It is what it is.

"Chris will be alright. He's stronger than people know, he's going to be fine."

The 24-year-old singer has hard a hard time in jail and has only just been moved out of solitary confinement, where he spent 23 hours a day alone and was unable to shower.

His request to have his assault charges dismissed was recently rejected, and prosecutors allegedly intend to upgrade his charge to a felony.

Ne-Yo diplomatically added: "I know nothing about Chris' [situation], but I know that he's a survivor. No matter what."

If convicted, Chris faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, but he is also in danger of landing four more years in jail in California as a result of violating the terms of his probation, stemming from his assault on ex-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009.