US singer Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty in court to two charges relating to an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub two years ago.
The 36-year-old star is accused of causing actual bodily harm to a music producer during an incident that prosecutors have described as “unprovoked”.
He is also charged with having an offensive weapon – namely a tequila bottle.
The two charges were added last month to a more serious count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), to which Mr Brown has already pleaded not guilty. The singer will face trial in October 2026.
He wore a brown suit with dark rimmed glasses to the latest plea hearing at Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday.
He gave a brief wave as he arrived before putting his hand to his chest. About 20 fans turned up to support him in the public gallery, with two saying “we love you Chris” as he left the court.
Prosecutors have previously said the alleged victim, Abraham Diaw, was standing at the bar of Soho’s Tape nightclub on 19 February 2023 when Mr Brown struck him several times with a bottle.
The singer was arrested at the five-star Lowry hotel in Salford, Greater Manchester, in May, after returning to the UK to prepare for a European tour.
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, which were kept in place at Friday’s hearing.
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, he is allowed 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.
He has played a string of stadium and arena shows across the UK and Europe in recent weeks, ending in Paris last weekend. The North American leg of his tour is due to start later this month and end on 18 October.
The next court hearing has been scheduled for 24 October.
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.
His co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, a 39-year-old American who performs under the name HoodyBaby, also pleaded not guilty to causing actual bodily harm. He previously entered a not guilty plea to the charge of attempted grievous bodily harm.
By BBC News
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