South Africas Heat magazine is claiming that Rihanna and her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown have been in telephone contact since his emotional performance at the BET Awards.

The two had reportedly not been in touch since Brown was sentenced to 180 days of community labour and five years of probation for beating her in February 2009.

An unnamed source told Heat: Its been almost a year since they last spoke, but Rihanna felt like she could try to be friends with Chris again. Seeing how emotional he was on set [at the BET Awards] really touched her.

Shed never seen him like that before.

The source added: Chris told her that he felt like hes grown up in the past year.

Hes said hes so happy to be back in touch with her. They were each others first love and hes missed her so much. Rihanna knows that if she wanted him back, hed be there in a second.

The pair have reportedly text messaged one another since their telephone conversation, with a friend of Rihannas suggesting that shes hoping for a face-to-face meeting.

But under the terms of his August 2009 probation, Brown must stay at least 100 yards away from RiRi for five years.