In February 2023, Chris Brown allegedly attacked a music producer with a bottle at Tape, an exclusive members-only nightclub in London. Brown was arrested at a Manchester hotel in 2025 as he prepared for UK tour dates.
He was charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and possession of an offensive weapon (a bottle). Co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu faces the same GBH charge. Both pleaded not guilty.
Brown posted a 5 million pound ($6.7M) bond and was permitted to continue his UK tour, including a 60,000-capacity show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Trial is set for October 26, 2026. He faces 2-16 years if convicted.
- 01Brown allegedly attacked a music producer with a bottle at a London nightclub in February 2023.
- 02Charged with attempting to cause GBH, assault, and possession of an offensive weapon.
- 03Co-defendant Akinlolu faces the same GBH charge.
- 04Brown has been allowed to continue touring on bond while awaiting trial.
Another high-profile test of UK courts handling American celebrity defendants. The case adds to Brown's extensive legal history including his 2009 assault of Rihanna. The fact that he was permitted to tour on a $6.7M bond raises questions about special treatment for wealthy defendants.
Separate from the UK criminal trial, Brown also brought a $500 million civil defamation suit in California against Warner Bros. Discovery and production company Ample LLC over the Investigation Discovery docuseries Chris Brown: A History of Violence, which aired October 27, 2024.
The documentary explored decades of allegations against Brown - including domestic violence and sexual assault - and centered on a "Jane Doe" accuser who alleged Brown raped her on Sean Combs' yacht in 2020. Brown filed suit on January 21, 2025 in LA Superior Court, alleging defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and California Civil Code ยง3344 violations. His team argued the Jane Doe accuser had been thoroughly discredited and that her own attorneys had withdrawn before the film aired.
On January 12, 2026, Judge Colin Leis granted the defendants' anti-SLAPP motion and dismissed the case. The court ruled the documentary was a "fair and true" report protected under California's fair report privilege, and that Brown failed to establish minimal merit for any defamatory statement. Reporting that referenced his "predisposition for punching women in the face" - invoking the 2009 Rihanna assault - did not support a defamation claim.