American R&B singer Chris Brown has faced multiple legal challenges throughout his career. Notably, he pleaded guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, resulting in a sentence of five years' probation, community service, and mandatory domestic violence counseling. In addition to this incident, Brown has been accused of other acts of physical assault and has also faced dismissed rape allegations, [1] for which he countersued for defamation. [2] [3] [4]
At around 12:30 a.m. (PST) on February 8, 2009, Brown and his then-girlfriend, singer Rihanna, had an argument which escalated into physical violence, leaving Rihanna with visible facial injuries which required hospitalization. Brown turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire station at 6:30 p.m. (PST) and was booked under suspicion of making criminal threats. [5] The police report did not name the female in the incident as is policy, [6] but media sources soon revealed that the victim was Rihanna. [7] [8] [9] Following Brown's arrest, several commercial ads and some TV shows featuring him were suspended, his music was withdrawn from multiple radio stations, and he withdrew from public appearances, including one at the 2009 Grammy Awards, where he was replaced by Justin Timberlake and Al Green. [7] [10] [11] Brown hired a crisis management team and released a statement saying, "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired." [12]
On March 5, 2009, Brown was charged with felony assault and making criminal threats. [13] He was arraigned on April 6, 2009, and pleaded not guilty to one count of assault and one count of making criminal threats. [14] On June 22, 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to a felony and accepted a plea deal of community labor, five years of probation, and domestic violence counseling. [15] [16] Several organizations against domestic violence criticized the plea deal, advocating the punishment was not severe enough for the crime; the level of Brown's influence over youth also came under scrutiny. [17] [18] On August 25, Brown received five years of probation. He was ordered to attend one year of domestic violence counseling and undergo six months of community service; the judge retained a five-year restraining order on Brown, which required him to remain 50 yards (45.72 meters) away from Rihanna, reduced to 10 yards at public events. [19] [20] Andy Kellman of AllMusic stated, "A fairly substantial backlash resulted in Brown's songs being pulled from rotation on several radio stations. Ultimately, however, it had little bearing on the progress of his music and acting careers." [21]
On September 2, 2009, Brown spoke about the domestic violence case in a pre-recorded Larry King Live interview, his first public interview about the matter. [22] [23] [24] [25] He was accompanied to the interview by his mother, Joyce Hawkins, and attorney Mark Geragos, as he discussed growing up in a household with his mother being repeatedly assaulted by his stepfather. Brown said of hearing details of his assault of Rihanna, "I'm in shock, because, first of all, that's not who I am as a person, and that's not who I promise I want to be." [22] Brown's mother said Brown "has never, ever been a violent person, ever" and that she does not believe in the cycle of violence. Brown said that it is "tough" for him to look at the famous photograph released of Rihanna's battered face, which may be the one image to haunt and define him forever, and that he still loved her. [22] "I'm pretty sure we can always be friends," said Brown, "and I don't know about our relationship, but I just know definitely that we ended as friends." He stated he did not feel that his career was over, and likened his relationship with Rihanna to Romeo and Juliet , blaming the media attention in the aftermath of the assault for driving them apart. [22] [25] When asked if he had any memory of assaulting Rihanna, he said that he did not, but realized that it occurred, and was sorry for his actions. [22] [23] [24] [25] However, following criticism of saying he did not remember, he later said in a statement, "Of course I remember what happened. Several times during the interview, my mother said that I came to her right afterwards and told her everything." Brown said despite this, "[that night] was and still is a blur". [23] [24]
In June 2010, Brown's application for a visa to enter the UK was rejected on the grounds of him "being guilty of a serious criminal offence" due to his assault on Rihanna. [26] [27] Brown had been planning to do a tour of British cities as part of a European tour but Sony stated that due to "issues surrounding his work visa" the tour was to be postponed. In February 2011, at the request of Brown's lawyer, Judge Patricia Schnegg modified with Rihanna's agreement the restraining order to a "level one order," allowing both singers to appear at awards shows together in the future. [28] [29] The following month, on March 22, 2011, during an interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America at the Times Square Studios, where he was repeatedly asked about the Rihanna situation and restraining order, Brown became violent in his dressing room during a commercial break before his second performance ending that day's program, and punched a window overlooking Times Square, causing damage to it. [30] He then took off his shirt, and after angry confrontations with the show staff and building security, left the building shirtless. [31]
On July 11, 2012, Brown's community service was evaluated and he was ordered to meet a judge. The evaluation was ordered by Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg on July 10, 2012. He was scheduled to appear in court with regard to the evaluation on August 21, 2012. [32] While conducting his community service in Virginia, however, Brown was tested positive for cannabis and appeared in court on September 25, 2012, at which time his hearing date was changed to November, to determine whether or not he had violated the terms of his court order. [33] He reappeared in court on November 1, 2012, and attempted to speak to the judge, but his lawyer, Mark Geragos, told him, "I don't dance; you don't talk." [34] On March 20, 2015, Brown's probation ended, formally closing the felony case emanating from the Rihanna assault which happened over six years prior. [35]
In his 2017 self-documentary Welcome to My Life , Chris Brown opened up about the tumultuous aspects of his relationship with Rihanna. He explained that he had intended to marry her, but their relationship was marred by trust issues. Brown admitted that he lost Rihanna's trust after he lied about a sexual encounter with someone who worked with him, which had occurred before they began dating. He also discussed how their relationship involved moments of physical altercations, describing lighter episodes where they would put their hands against each other. Brown provided a detailed account of a well-known fight, describing how tensions escalated between them, leading to a physical confrontation. He reflected on how these incidents affected both of them emotionally and contributed to the complex dynamics of their relationship. [36]
On June 14, 2012, Drake and his entourage were involved in a scuffle with Brown at a nightclub called WIP in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. About eight people were injured during the brawl, [37] including San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker, who had surgery to remove a piece of glass from his eye. [38] Drake was not arrested. Brown's attorney alleged Drake was the instigator. [39] Brown himself tweeted about the incident and publicly criticized Drake weeks later. [37] [40] [41]
In January 2013, Brown was in an altercation with Frank Ocean over a parking space outside a recording studio in West Hollywood. Police officers in Los Angeles said Brown was under investigation, describing the incident as "battery" due to Brown allegedly punching Ocean. [42] Ocean said he would not press charges. [43] According to Jamaican singer Sean Kingston, who was present during the altercation, Ocean and his cousin instigated the fight and were at fault. [44] [45]
In July 2013, Brown's probation was revoked after he was involved in an alleged hit and run in Los Angeles. He was released from court and scheduled to reappear in August 2013 to learn whether he would serve time in prison. [46] The charges would later be dropped, but Brown would have 1,000 additional hours of community service added to his probation terms. [47] In October 2013, Brown was arrested for felony assault in Washington, D.C., after refusing to take a picture with a man, and throwing a punch that broke the man's nose. [48] The charge was reduced to a misdemeanor. [47] Brown spent 36 hours in a Washington jail and was taken to court in shackles. He was released and ordered to report to his California probation officer within 48 hours.
On October 30, 2013, Brown voluntarily entered rehab. After Brown completed his 90 days, the judge ordered him to remain a resident at the Malibu treatment facility until a hearing on April 23, 2014. The deal was if Brown left rehab, he would go to jail. On March 14, 2014, Brown was kicked out of the rehab facility and sent to Northern Neck Regional Jail [49] for violating internal rules. He was expected to be released on April 23, 2014, [50] but a judge denied his release request from custody either on bail or his own recognizance. [51] At his May 9, 2014, court date, Brown was ordered to serve 131 days in jail for his probation violation. He was sentenced to serve 365 days in custody; however, the judge gave him credit for 234 days he had already spent in rehab and jail, as well as credits for good behavior while behind bars. [52] Brown was released from jail on June 2, 2014. [53]
In June 2016, Chris Brown was sued for assault, false imprisonment and battery by Mike G, the singer's former manager, hired in 2012 to help him repair his public image. Mike G claimed that on May 10 of that year, Brown assaulted him, locked him in a room and punched him four times in the face and neck. [54] Subsequently, Brown accused Mike G on his social media accounts of stealing money while working for him, being fired for it, an accusation that the manager later denied. [55] In 2019, the lawsuit was settled out of court, with Brown and the manager informing courts that both parties have reconciled their differences and reached a confidential deal. [56]
In the early hours of August 30, 2016, a woman called the police and accused Brown of threatening her with a gun inside his house. [57] Police were called, but Brown denied them entry without a warrant. [58] When they returned with one, Brown refused them entry and began what news sources referred to as a "standoff" with the LAPD, including the robbery-homicide division and SWAT team. During this time, Brown was seen posting videos on Instagram, in which he rails against the police and the media coverage of the activity at his house. He denounced media reports that he was "barricaded" inside his house, complained about the helicopters flying overhead, and called the police "idiots" and "the worst gang in the world." He said that he was innocent and "What I do care about is you are defacing [ sic ] my name and my character and integrity". [58] Brown was arrested and later released from jail on $250,000 bail. [59] On September 1, 2016, Brown's lawyer, Mark Geragos, stated that there was no standoff and that, with regard to the LAPD search, "nothing was found to corroborate her statement." [60] Charges were later dropped after prosecutors declined to arraign Brown on the felony charges. [61] Brown later sued the accuser for defamation, prevailing in the lawsuit, after it was ruled that the defendant brought to court false and defamatory statements about Brown, through her incriminating text messages where she said that "Brown kicked [her] out of his house because [she] called his friend jewelry fake" and she was "going to set him up and call the cops and say that he tried to shoot [her]". [62] Brown later told Good Morning America : "My character’s been defaced. I’m glad that all my real supporters know me and know the truth and they’ll see the truth." [63]
In 2017, Brown's ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran was granted a 5-year restraining order against him by a judge in Santa Monica, California, after she shared text messages and voicemails in court where Brown threatened her and demanded she return diamond rings and other gifts given during their relationship. [64]
Brown was arrested after his concert during July 6, 2018 night on a felony battery charge stemming from an incident that occurred more than a year before. The battery charge was connected to an April 2017 incident in a Tampa club, where Brown allegedly punched a man who photographed him without his permission. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said Brown was released after about an hour, after that he posted $2,000 bond. [65] On August 16, 2019, the state of Florida dropped the battery charge on Brown. [66]
In 2022, Brown was served copyright infringement lawsuits on three of his singles: "Privacy"; "No Guidance"; and "Pills and Automobiles". [67] [68] [69] The lawsuit on the single "Privacy" was filed by UK-based music firm Greensleeves, who alleged that "Privacy" lifted a line from 1997 dancehall track "Tight Up Skirt", recorded by Red Rat. Red Rat himself wasn’t involved in the lawsuit, and publicly expressed that he was agreeable of Brown's usage of his lyric. Brown eventually reached a settlement with Greensleeves for copyright infringement. [70] The pair of songwriters who sued Brown and Drake for copyright infringement on "No Guidance" dropped the lawsuit in its entirety in September 2022. [71] Lastly, the musician who filed the copyright infringement on "Pills and Automobiles" dropped the lawsuit in June 2023. [72]
In January 2022, a woman named Daisia Frank filed a $20 million civil lawsuit against Brown for allegedly raping her on a yacht owned by music producer Sean "Diddy" Combs in Miami in December 2020. [73] [74] [75] Brown denied the allegations and later submitted text messages and voicemails to the Miami police department which implied a consensual relationship with the accuser. [76] In the text messages the woman addressed Brown using lewd language and sent nude "selfie" pictures almost immediately after the alleged rape took place. [76] According to TMZ, Brown intended to counter-sue the plaintiff for defamation and the plaintiff's lawyer withdrew from the case after she was made aware of the messages and voicemails. [77] The presiding judge dismissed the lawsuit due to lack of prosecution by the plaintiff in August 2022. [1] The lawsuit was dismissed on procedural grounds without prejudice, meaning the case can be reinstated under proper legal grounds if the plaintiff intends to pursue it again. [1]
Following the highly publicized controversies sparked by Diddy's 2023 and 2024 accusations, the docuseries Chris Brown: A History of Violence aired on October 27, 2024. The docuseries is based on the 2022 rape allegation and features the accuser, who appears in silhouette in the documentary to shield her identity, explaining in her televised interview that she is speaking out to "shed light on what really happened." [78] [79] [80] [81] In January 2025, Brown filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. for $500 million over Chris Brown: A History of Violence, which aired in October 2024 on Investigation Discovery. [82] [83] [84] [85] As of May 2025, the lawsuit remains ongoing. [86]
On May 15, 2025, Brown was arrested in Manchester, England, on a 2023 warrant issued against him for a grievous bodily harm charge. The charge resulted from an alleged incident which involved Brown smashing a tequila bottle over music producer Abraham Diaw's head while at a London nightclub on February 19, 2023. [87] [88] Brown would then be detained by London's Metropolitan Police. [88] Diaw has also filed a civil claim against Brown for £12m ($16m) in damages which are related to the injuries and losses he suffered during the alleged 2023 London nightclub incident. [88] On May 16, the Manchester Magistrates' Court ordered Brown to remain in custody until at least June 13, 2025, when his case will be heard before the Southwark Crown court in London. [89] [88] [90] [91] The charges against Brown for the alleged assault on Diaw carry a maximum penalty of 16 years in prison. [92] British police also charged Omololu Akinlolu, a rapper known by his stage name HoodyBaby, in connection with the alleged assault. [93] [94] On May 21, 2025, Brown was released on £5 million bail by the London court and was permitted to commence his "Breezy Bowl XX" world tour next month in accordance with his bail conditions. [95] On June 20, 2025, Brown pleaded not guilty at Southwark Crown Court to a charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm. [96] [97] He appeared again at the same court on July 11, where he entered not guilty pleas to two further charges: possession of an offensive weapon and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. [98] On June 27, Diaw requested that the suit be dismissed with prejudice. [99] Brown is still facing criminal charges in the case. [100]
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