US singer Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to an assault charge after an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub two years ago.
The 36-year-old is accused of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) to music producer Abraham Diaw during an incident that prosecutors have described as “unprovoked”.
Brown also faces charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and having an offensive weapon – namely a tequila bottle. Both relate to the same incident, and were added to his indictment ahead of Friday’s hearing.
The judge adjourned arraignment on those two counts, meaning Brown will not have to enter a plea until 11 July. He will face trial for GBH on 26 October, 2026.
The US singer appeared at Southwark Crown Court to deny the charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, hours after playing to thousands of fans at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
Wearing an ocean blue suit and black-rimmed glasses, the musician was silent as he walked past a large group of photographers when he arrived at the court on Friday morning.
Five or six fans were outside the court to offer their support. More crowded into the courtroom to watch the proceedings.
After taking the dock, Brown smiled and winked to a woman in the courtroom, while waiting for His Honour Judge Baumgartner to arrive.
He confirmed his name and date of birth, 5 May 1989, before the judge asked for his plea on the charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm. “Not guilty, ma’am,” Brown replied.
Brown’s co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, a 39-year-old American who performs under the name HoodyBaby, also entered a not guilty plea to the charge of attempted grievous bodily harm.
Brown was arrested at the five-star Lowry hotel in Salford, Greater Manchester, last month, after arriving in the UK to prepare for a string of European tour dates.
He was held in custody for almost a week, before being released after agreeing to pay a £5m security fee to the court.
A security fee is a financial guarantee to ensure a defendant returns to court. Mr Brown could be asked to forfeit the money if he breaches bail conditions.
Under those conditions, Mr Brown must live at an address in the UK while awaiting trial, and was ordered to surrender his passport to police.
However, a plan was put in place allowing him to honour his Breezy Bowl XX world tour dates by surrendering his passport but getting it back when he needs to travel to the gigs.
The first date took place in Amsterdam on 8 June, and the UK leg kicked off last weekend.
On the first night in Manchester on Sunday, he thanked fans “for coming and supporting me”.
“And thank you to the jail,” he joked, referring to his spell in custody. “It was really nice.”
Mr Brown is one of the biggest stars in US R&B, with two Grammy Awards, and 19 top 10 singles in the UK – including hits like Turn Up The Music, Freaky Friday, With You and Don’t Wake Me Up.
Last week, he won the prize for best male R&B/pop artist at the BET Awards in Los Angeles.
A former partner of pop star Rihanna, his latest tour celebrates the 20th anniversary of his self-titled debut album.
Outlining the case against him last month, prosecutors said the alleged victim, Abraham Diaw, was standing at the bar of Soho’s Tape nightclub on 19 February 2023 when Mr Brown launched an “unprovoked attack” in which the complainant was struck several times with a bottle.
She said: “The defendant then pursued him to a separate area of the nightclub where the victim was punched and kicked repeatedly by him and another.”
Brown will follow his court appearance with two dates at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend.
His next hearing will take two place once the European leg of his tour wraps up.
By BBC New
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