Chris Brown was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after a nearly all day back-and-forth with members of the Los Angeles Police Department outside his home in Tarzana, Calif. The incident generated tons of headlines, and it's far from his only recent legal trouble. In fact, Brown has been in and out of trouble (but mostly in) since 2009, when he infamously assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna, hospitalizing her and kicking off seven years of court battles, police investigations, probation violations, lawsuits, and jail time. The lawsuits range from the frivolous to the quite serious.
Chris Brown was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after a nearly all day back-and-forth with members of the Los Angeles Police Department outside his home in Tarzana, Calif. The incident generated tons of headlines, and it's far from his only recent legal trouble. In fact, Brown has been in and out of trouble (but mostly in) since 2009, when he infamously assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna, hospitalizing her and kicking off seven years of court battles, police investigations, probation violations, lawsuits, and jail time. The lawsuits range from the frivolous to the quite serious.
Feb. 8, 2009 - Assaults Rihanna before the Grammys.
In what remains the ugliest, most infamous incident he's perpetrated, Chris Brown assaults Rihanna while the couple is driving to to the 2009 Grammy awards. Rihanna's injuries require hospitalization. Brown turns himself in to the LAPD that same day. Graphic police images of her battered face eventually leak online, causing a national outrage.
June 29, 2009 - Pleads guilty to felony assault of Rihanna.
Several months after the attack, Chris Brown pleads guilty to felony assault against Rihanna. He is sentenced to five years of probation, one year of domestic violence counseling, and six months of community service. He is also served a restraining order against Rihanna. Brown makes the media rounds on an apology tour, appearing on Larry King Live alongside his mother. He vows to turn his life around.
March 22, 2011 - Breaks window backstage after 'Good Morning America' interview.
Chris Brown somewhat makes good on his promise to turn over a new leaf, but major cracks begin to show for the first time in 2011. During an appearance on Good Morning America, host Robin Roberts brings up the domestic violence case against him and the continued restraining order filed by Rihanna. Apparently not pleased with the line of questioning, Brown flies into a rage during a commercial break, stripping off his shirt and attempting to throw an object through a window overlooking Times Square. He leaves the building without performing his second song and tweets out that he's tired of people bringing up the past.
June 13, 2012 - Starts a bottle-throwing fight with Drake at Manhattan nightclub.
Drake and Chris Brown get into a bottle-throwing fight at W.i.P. nightclub in Manhattan. The fight causes chaos in the club, forcing it to close and later lose its liquor license. The club's parent company later sues Brown and Drake for $16 million worth of damages. The fight, reportedly over their respective relationships with Rihanna, is the talk of the hip-hop community for months.
Jan. 28, 2013 - Fights Frank Ocean at L.A. recording studio, is investigated.
Chris Brown, who had previously beefed with Frank Ocean and the Odd Future crew, confronts Ocean outside Westlake recording studios in L.A. Brown punches Ocean in the face, reportedly over a parking spot outside the studio. Police investigate the crime, with Brown as the suspect and Ocean as the accuser. However, no charges are filed.
Feb. 6, 2013 - Court denies him an end to his probation.
By 2013, Rihanna and Brown seem to have arrived at an understanding that allows them to hang out regularly; they're even collaborating. Rihanna appears at a February 2013 court hearing where Brown is denied an end to his probation after failing to complete his court-mandated 180 days of community service. Their rekindled relationship angers many fans.
June 25, 2013 - Gets into car accident, is charged with hit-and-run.
After getting into an accident with a woman and reportedly refusing to share valid insurance information with her, Brown is charged with hit-and-run in Los Angeles. He speaks out about the charges on Twitter, claiming the woman thought she would get a big payout because he's famous.
Oct. 29, 2013 - Checks into rehab for anger management.
After being arrested for assault in Washington, D.C. for punching a fan in the face who tried to take a picture with him, Brown checks into rehab for anger management. He's expected to stay for three months in an attempt to repair his image and avoid being found guilty of violating his probation.
March 14, 2014 - After four months in rehab, is kicked out and sent to jail.
After staying more than four months at a rehab facility, Chris Brown is kicked out for multiple rule violations. He reportedly had an "inappropriate" relationship with an employee, refused to take a drug test, and at one point made a mockery of the entire rehab process. He's found to be in violation of his probation and is sent to jail.
June 2, 2014 - Serves 108 days in jail, is released.
Although a judge had ordered Brown to serve 131 extra days a few weeks beforehand, he is released on June 2 after serving 108 days total. He pledges to get back to the music and deal with his assault charge in Washington, D.C.
Aug. 23, 2014 - Suge Knight shot seven times at Chris Brown-hosted pre-VMA party.
Chris Brown hosts a pre-VMA party at 1OAK in West Hollywood. During the evening, Suge Knight is shot seven times in the chest, forearm, and abdomen. "I realize that what I do for a living opens my life to public scrutiny and that I have a responsibility to everyone because of that exposure," Brown says about trying to move past the incident in an interview with Billboard.
Sept. 2, 2014 - Pleads guilty in Washington, D.C. assault case.
After months of uncertainty, Brown pleads guilty to misdemeanor assault for punching a fan in the face in Washington, D.C. As part of the plea deal, he won't serve any additional time and isn't found to be in violation of his probation.
Jan. 11, 2015 - Five injured in shooting at concert in San Jose.
During a Brown concert in San Jose, five people are shot. It marks the second shooting at a Brown event in several months, a number which doesn't include a bottle-throwing fight that broke out during one of his concerts in New York City the previous September.
Noting that he had traveled to San Jose without permission, and considering that he had been present during several nightclub fights and shootings over the past few months, a judge revokes Brown's probation.
March 20, 2015 - The 2009 assault case against Rihanna closes as his probation period ends.
Upon review, the probation department decides his excuse for a parole violation in San Jose is legitimate, and that his completed community service means he can officially end his probation. Weaseling his way out of the situation, after nearly six years and countless run-ins with law enforcement, his 2009 assault case against Rihanna is officially closed.
May 4, 2015 - Video surfaces that appears to show Brown throat-punch Jeremih.
Just a few months after getting off probation, Brown is back in the spotlight when video surfaces of him allegedly punching Jeremih in the throat during a basketball game in Las Vegas. "Chris is currently in Las Vegas as he is performing at Drai's on May 5th and receiving a Key to the Strip that day as well," his publicist says at the time. "He has a suite at the hotel that has a basketball court and invited friends to come play. An unruly individual showed up uninvited and was removed from the premises. Chris was not in an altercation with this person." Charges are never filed.
July 22, 2015 - Barred from leaving the Philippines after failing to pay a concert promoter.
Brown is stopped from leaving the Philippines while trying to board a private jet on orders from the country's Department of Justice. The issue stems from Brown cancelling a concert the previous New Year's Eve put on by the Iglesia Ni Cristo, a religious group with considerable political power in the country. The group claims Brown backed out after being paid $1 million for the show. In a video posted on Instagram (later deleted), Brown vents about the drama. "Can somebody please tell me what the fuck is going on? I don't know, I'm reading headlines after headlines, what the fuck?" The issue is eventually resolved and Brown is allowed to resume his tour of Asia.
Jan. 25, 2016 - Narrowly avoids charges in alleged New Year’s Eve assault in Las Vegas.
Brown is accused of assault on New Year's Eve in Las Vegas after a woman claims that he punched her in the eye in a Palms Hotel room. She alleges he became enraged after she took a picture of him with her cell phone and assaulted her. Although police investigate the issue, on Jan. 25 they announce that they will not be pursuing charges due to a lack of evidence. Brown speaks out about the accusations shortly afterwards.
June 23, 2016 - Former manager Mike G brings a lawsuit claiming Brown beat him up.
Mike G, Brown's manager of several years, files a lawsuit claiming the singer assaulted him to the point of hospitalization. G claims that Brown later mocked him on social media and threatened other people working on his tour. G cites Brown's alleged drug use as the reason for the assault, and fears more violence from his "gang member friends."
Brown claims that G was stealing money from him, and subsequently fired him. According to Brown, the lawsuit was a retaliatory measure. G, who was originally hired in 2012 to rehabilitate Brown's image and get him off drugs, fires back, saying that he never had access to Brown's money in the first place.
June 27, 2016 - Suge Knight brings lawsuit for 2014 shooting.
Almost two years after the incident, Suge Knight brings a lawsuit against Chris Brown and 1OAK nightclub in Los Angeles for the 2014 shooting. Claiming Brown had a "well-documented track record of hosting events and/or parties in which violence frequently erupted," Suge seeks undisclosed damages and coverage for his current and future medical bills. Knight even tried to link the incident to his fatal hit-and-run 2015, claiming his injuries from the shooting limited his mobility and ability to defend himself, causing him to fear for his safety.
July 2, 2016 - Kicked out of Ibiza vacation house after allegedly trashing it.
The owner of an Ibiza vacation house kicks Brown out of the home, which he had been renting while performing on the Spanish island. According to the owner, Brown trashed the house by throwing knives into the walls, vomiting everywhere, and peeing in the bed. Overall, the owner claims Brown did $60,000 worth of damage to the home.
Brown later speaks out in a series of now-deleted Instagram posts, saying, "This was probably ten minutes before we left to go to the airport. They called the police, they did all kind of things without even being in the house. They allocated all different damages that are nonexistent." Once again, Brown claims that he was being targeted due to his reputation. "It's easy for them to believe it. 'Let's put Chris Brown's name in it so people can automatically assume,' because I don't automatically have the benefit of the doubt for you fucking 'fans' or people out there."
Aug. 2, 2016 - Second victim from 1OAK shooting sues.
Ginja Elms, a victim of the 2014 shooting at 1OAK in Los Angeles that also left Suge Knight hospitalized, brings a $750,000 lawsuit against Brown and the club. Elms claims that the club was well aware of Brown's "known gang affiliations," and should have done a better job of screening its patrons.