Chris Brown makes bail, surrenders passport as world tour looms
LONDON — Chris Brown was granted bail by a London court after being charged with assault earlier this month.
Brown, a hip-hop singer with a long and complicated legal history, was arrested and charged May 15 with inflicting grievous bodily harm in what prosecutors said was an "unprovoked attack" in a London nightclub in 2023.
The singer, 36, has not yet been asked to enter a plea. He was not present at the U.K. courthouse when Judge Tony Baumgartner granted him bail on May 21 after Brown promised to pay the $6.7 million bond.
He was originally denied bail, but the court changed its tune after he vowed to pay around $5.3 million upfront with a further approximately $1.3 million sum due May 28.
The bail may prove incredibly important as criminal proceedings could conflict with Brown's upcoming tour. The singer's Breezy Bowl XX World Tour is set to begin June 8 in Amsterdam with support from fellow R&B singer Bryson Tiller.
Brown was also required to surrender his passport, except when he is traveling for his tour and his next court date was set for June 20.
Police confirmed that the arrest was related to an alleged 2023 assault, as described in a lawsuit previously filed by music producer Amadou "Abe" Diaw.
In October 2023, Diaw sued Brown for allegedly "beating him over the head" with a tequila bottle at a nightclub in London, according to a Los Angeles lawsuit reviewed by Paste BN.
Early on Feb. 19, 2023, "while traveling for his 2023 'Under the Influence' Tour ... (Brown) brutally assaulted (Diaw) at TAPE nightclub in London. Wielding a large bottle of Don Julio 1942 Tequila as his weapon, Brown inflicted severe and lasting injuries on (Diaw) when beating him over the head with crushing blows," the lawsuit alleged.
"As (Diaw) lay unconscious on the floor, Brown continued to ruthlessly stomp on the defenseless (Diaw) for approximately 30 seconds. (Diaw) ended up in the hospital with lacerations on his head and torn ligaments in his leg."
Chris Brown arrest, charge follows documentary legal drama
Brown's arrest in the U.K. comes months after the singer took legal action following the release of a documentary that explored his alleged history of violence.
In January, the singer-songwriter sued Warner Bros. Discovery and several others for their role in the production of "Chris Brown: A History of Violence," a documentary film chronicling Brown's alleged pattern of abuse. He is seeking $500 million in damages, alleging libel and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Brown's star was heavily tarnished in 2009 when fans learned that he had assaulted then-girlfriend Rihanna on the night of the Grammy Awards. Photos showing Rihanna bloodied and bruised after the attack were leaked to the public at the time, forever altering Brown's reputation and kicking off more than a decade of legal troubles.
In 2017, a restraining order was granted to ex-girlfriend and "Claws" actress Karrueche Tran, mandating that Brown stay away from her after she alleged that he was abusive toward her. Then, the following year, an anonymous accuser represented by women's rights lawyer Gloria Allred sued Brown, alleging he had trapped her in his home and forced her to perform sex acts for his friends.
In 2019, the singer was accused of raping a woman in Paris, but released without charges. This was followed by a July 2024 lawsuit, which alleged Brown and members of his crew severely assaulted four men after a concert in Texas.
Contributing: Sam Tobin, Reuters; Jay Stahl, Anna Kaufman, Edward Segarra, KiMi Robinson, Paste BN