Chris Brown Ordered to Pay $12.9 Million After Jury Finds Him Liable in Dog Attack Case

Chris Brown Ordered to Pay $12.9 Million After Jury Finds Him Liable in Dog Attack Case

A Los Angeles jury has found American singer Chris Brown liable for a 2020 dog attack that left his former housekeeper, Maria Avila, seriously injured and permanently disfigured.

The verdict followed a two-week trial during which jurors heard that Avila was attacked by a 200-pound Caucasian shepherd named Hades while emptying rubbish at Brown’s home in Tarzana, California.

According to Billboard, Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, were ordered to pay $12.9 million in damages after the jury found them negligent.

Avila testified that the attack left her with severe facial disfigurement, permanent scarring, vision loss, nerve damage and injuries that required skin grafts. She also told the court she has been unable to return to work as a housekeeper because of reduced mobility in her arm and post-traumatic stress.

During the trial, Brown maintained that the dog was kept by his security team for protection and was not his personal pet. He said he had warned Avila and another housekeeper, Patricia, that the dogs were not friendly and should only be approached when security personnel were present. Both women denied receiving such a warning.

The jury also heard allegations that Brown left the scene after the attack instead of assisting Avila or contacting emergency services. Brown told the court he was in shock after seeing the extent of her injuries and followed his manager’s advice to leave because he feared attracting media attention.

In addition to the award to Avila, the court granted $885,000 to Patricia and $50,000 to Avila’s husband, Oscar Olivo.

Brown is currently on a U.S. tour with R&B singer Usher.

The singer is also expected to stand trial in the United Kingdom in October over allegations that he assaulted a music producer with a bottle at a London nightclub in 2023. Brown and his co-defendant, Omololu Akinlolu, were granted bail earlier this year.

BBC

Chris Brown Ordered to Pay $12.9 Million After Jury Finds Him Liable in Dog Attack Case