Chris Brown’s legal history includes two criminal convictions, a pending criminal trial in the United Kingdom, and a long line of civil lawsuits, dropped charges, and declined prosecutions stretching from 2009 to the present. His convictions are the 2009 felony assault of Rihanna and a 2014 misdemeanor assault plea in Washington, D.C. His most serious current matter is a London nightclub assault case scheduled for trial on October 26, 2026.
The Two Criminal Convictions on His Record
Brown pleaded guilty in June 2009 to one count of felony assault for attacking his then-girlfriend Rihanna inside a rented car in Los Angeles on February 8, 2009, the night before the Grammy Awards. A search warrant affidavit described Brown punching Rihanna repeatedly, biting her ear, and choking her until she nearly lost consciousness.1ABC 7 NY. Chris Brown Off Probation in Rihanna Assault Case A second count of making criminal threats was dropped.2The Guardian. Chris Brown Sentenced in Rihanna Assault
Judge Patricia Schnegg sentenced Brown in August 2009 to five years of probation, six months of physical labor, a one-year domestic violence course, and a five-year protective order requiring him to stay away from Rihanna.2The Guardian. Chris Brown Sentenced in Rihanna Assault Probation did not go smoothly. It was briefly revoked in 2013 over a hit-and-run charge that was later dropped through civil compromise.3CNN. Chris Brown Fast Facts After a 2013 D.C. assault arrest, Brown was ordered into rehab, expelled for rule violations, and jailed. In May 2014 he was sentenced to 365 days with 234 days credit for time served.4Los Angeles Times. Chris Brown Sentenced to Jail for Probation Violation Probation was revoked again in January 2015 after Brown performed at a San Jose nightclub without authorization and fell behind on community labor.5Corrections1. Judge Revokes Chris Brown Probation in Rihanna Assault Case Superior Court Judge James R. Brandlin finally closed the felony case on March 20, 2015.6Los Angeles Times. Chris Brown Off Probation in Rihanna Assault Case
The second conviction came from a 2:25 a.m. incident on October 27, 2013, when Brown punched a 20-year-old man outside the W Hotel in Washington, D.C. He was initially charged with felony assault, later reduced to misdemeanor simple assault. On September 2, 2014, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served and $150 in court costs.7U.S. Department of Justice. Chris Brown Pleads Guilty to Assault Charge
The Pending London Nightclub Case
Brown’s most serious active matter is a UK criminal case tied to a February 19, 2023, incident at Tape nightclub in Soho, London. Prosecutors allege he launched an unprovoked attack on music producer Abraham Diaw, striking him several times with a tequila bottle before chasing him through the club and repeatedly punching and kicking him.8BBC News. Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty to London Assault
He was arrested on May 15, 2025, at the Lowry Hotel in Salford as he arrived in the UK for his Breezy Bowl XX tour. A Manchester magistrate initially denied bail, with prosecutor Hannah Nicholls calling the alleged crime “extremely serious.”9CBC News. Chris Brown Held in Custody Over London Nightclub Assault On May 21, a London judge released him after he agreed to pay a £5 million (about $6.4 million) security fee to guarantee his court appearances.10Variety. Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty to Assault Charge in London Court
He faces three charges: attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and possession of an offensive weapon (the tequila bottle). On June 20, 2025, Brown and co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, a member of his entourage known as HoodyBaby, both pleaded not guilty to the attempted GBH charge at Southwark Crown Court.8BBC News. Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty to London Assault Bail conditions require him to live at a UK address and surrender his passport, with a court-approved arrangement letting him temporarily retrieve it for previously scheduled tour dates.11BBC News. Chris Brown Faces London Assault Trial Trial is set for October 26, 2026. A parallel $16 million civil suit Diaw filed in Los Angeles was dismissed with prejudice at his own request, a move that could indicate a settlement, though no terms were disclosed.12Yahoo Entertainment. Music Producer Drops Lawsuit Against Chris Brown
Restraining Orders and Domestic Violence Allegations
In February 2017, Brown’s ex-girlfriend, actress Karrueche Tran, sought a restraining order. She alleged in court filings that Brown had punched her in the stomach, pushed her down stairs, sent threatening texts, and told others he would kill her. Among the messages she presented was one reading, “Bitch I will beat the s— out of you.”13People. Karrueche Tran Granted Five-Year Restraining Order Against Chris Brown A Santa Monica judge granted a five-year restraining order on June 15, 2017. Brown did not attend the hearing.14USA Today. Karrueche Tran Wins Five-Year Restraining Order Against Chris Brown
Assault Allegations That Did Not Lead to Charges
Several other violent incidents were investigated but never produced convictions. A June 14, 2012, brawl between Brown’s and Drake’s entourages at the W.i.P. lounge inside Manhattan’s Greenhouse nightclub left seven people injured, including NBA player Tony Parker. No criminal charges were filed against either performer, though the club owners and injured parties filed multi-million-dollar civil suits.15The Hollywood Reporter. Chris Brown and Drake Sued for $16 Million Over Nightclub Brawl
A January 27, 2013, parking-lot fight with singer Frank Ocean outside Westlake Recording Studio was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; no charges were filed.3CNN. Chris Brown Fast Facts In August 2016, model Baylee Curran told police Brown pointed a gun at her at his Tarzana home, triggering a roughly 14-hour standoff. Brown was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and released on $250,000 bail; attorney Mark Geragos called the accusations “demonstrably false,” and the research does not indicate that formal charges were filed.16ABC News. Chris Brown Standoff and Arrest
An April 2017 felony battery charge in Tampa, over an allegation that Brown punched a photographer, was dropped in 2019 for insufficient evidence.17People. Chris Brown Arrests and Controversies In 2021, the Los Angeles City Attorney declined to prosecute an allegation that Brown struck a woman at his Tarzana home, again citing insufficient evidence. Brown was also named a suspect in a 2015 Las Vegas casino fight and had a 2016 misdemeanor battery and theft report filed against him at a Las Vegas hotel suite.18Billboard. Chris Brown Legal Troubles Timeline
Sexual Assault Lawsuits
Brown has faced multiple sexual assault claims in civil court, none of which produced criminal charges. In May 2018, a woman identified as Jane Doe, represented by attorney Gloria Allred, sued Brown and rapper Lowell Grissom Jr. (Young Lo) over an alleged February 2017 party at Brown’s home, alleging sexual battery, assault, gender violence, and false imprisonment. Geragos called the suit a “shakedown.” According to People, the case was dismissed and settled out of court in 2020.19ABC News. Chris Brown Sued for Alleged Sexual Battery17People. Chris Brown Arrests and Controversies
In January 2019, Brown was detained in Paris after a woman accused him of rape at a hotel; he was released after about 24 hours without charges and later sued the accuser for defamation in France.20ABC 7 NY. Chris Brown Files Lawsuit Against Rape Accuser A separate 2022 Jane Doe lawsuit seeking $20 million over an alleged 2020 yacht assault was dismissed by a judge in August 2022.17People. Chris Brown Arrests and Controversies
The Fort Worth Backstage Lawsuit
On July 19, 2024, four concertgoers filed a $50 million lawsuit alleging that Brown and seven to ten members of his entourage attacked them in a hallway backstage at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, following a stop on his “11:11 Tour.” Plaintiffs Larry Parker, Joseph Lewis, Charles Bush, and Damarcus Powell claimed Brown recognized one of them from a prior dispute and told his entourage to attack. A court granted a temporary restraining order to preserve video evidence.21Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Chris Brown Sued Over Alleged Backstage Beating at Dickies Arena22Los Angeles Times. Chris Brown, Live Nation Sued for Backstage Beating in Fort Worth Brown’s attorney said the incident was “a set up” by “uninvited guests” and that Brown “never initiated physical contact with anyone.”23NBC DFW. Chris Brown and Yella Beezy Sued Over Alleged Assault A 58-year-old arena security staffer, Frederick Overpeck, filed a separate $1 million suit alleging Brown threw the first punch and that he sustained a cracked vertebra trying to intervene. Fort Worth police have been investigating independently.
Brown’s Own Defamation Suit Against HBO
In January 2025, Brown filed a $500 million defamation lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery over the HBO documentary “Chris Brown: A History of Violence,” which featured an anonymous woman alleging a 2020 rape. His complaint called the documentary “full of lies.”17People. Chris Brown Arrests and Controversies Warner Bros. argued the documentary was protected speech and that Brown was “libel proof” because his reputation had been “irredeemably tarnished long before the documentary aired.”24Courthouse News Service. Judge Likely to Toss Chris Brown Defamation Lawsuit Over HBO Doc On January 12, 2026, California Superior Court Judge Colin Leis dismissed the suit under the state’s anti-SLAPP law, ruling that Brown “failed to meet his burden in establishing the minimal merit of any of the allegedly defamatory statements.”25Bloomberg Law. Chris Brown Defamation Suit Over Warner Bros. Documentary Tossed
Non-Violent Legal Matters
In 2018, Brown was charged with two misdemeanor counts of keeping a capuchin monkey, Fiji, without a permit. In December 2019, a judge admitted him to a diversion program on the conditions that he permanently forfeit the animal, pay $35,000 to the facility housing it, submit to compliance searches, and avoid owning other prohibited species; if met, the charges would be dropped in June 2020.26Los Angeles Times. Chris Brown Monkey Charges, Judge Restrictions
On the financial side, City National Bank sued Brown in 2023 over a defaulted 2018 loan tied to two Popeyes Chicken franchise locations. A Georgia court ruled for the bank, and on February 27, 2024, a Los Angeles court confirmed the judgment, ordering Brown to personally pay $1,314,367.40.27People. Chris Brown Ordered to Pay Over Popeyes Loan Debt