Chris Brown has successfully barred the mention of his 2009 assault of Rihanna in a legal battle with his former housekeeper.
As initially reported in 2021, the 2-time Grammy winner is being sued by his housekeeper, Patricia Avila, who alleges that her sister, Maria, was brutally attacked by one of Brown’s dogs at his home. Avila claimed that while her sister was emptying a vacuum in Brown’s backyard, the singer’s Caucasian Shepherd, which can weigh between 110-220 pounds on average, mauled her by allegedly “ripping 3 to 4 inches of skin off her arm,” along with biting her legs and face.
Brown has denied any wrongdoing and alleged that Maria incited his dog. As TMZ reported on Wednesday (June 10), Brown’s request to exclude the plaintiff’s reference to his assault of Rihanna has been accepted. The singer’s legal council argued that mentioning the domestic violence incident would be prejudicial and was irrelevant to the case.
In February 2009, the Brown artist was arrested for attacking his then-girlfriend in a parked car in Los Angeles during an argument. A leaked picture of Rihanna’s injuries showed that the 9-time Grammy winner was severely bruised and sustained a split lip from the incident. In August 2009, Brown would be sentenced to 5 years of probation and 6 months of community service.
In the years since, Brown has been faced with multiple allegations of domestic abuse and assault, many of which were explored in 2024 documentary, Chris Brown: A History of Violence. The singer is also currently embroiled in a custody battle with Diamond Brown, the mother of his 4-year-old daughter, Lovely Symphani Brown.
