Chris Brown pleads not guilty to assault charge against music producer in London

On June 20, 2025, Grammy-winning singer Chris Brown, 36, was presented at the Southwark Crown Court in London. He was charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to music producer Abraham Diaw and having an offensive weapon, a tequila bottle.

The news comes from the BBC, reporting a bottle assault that happened in February 2023 at the Tape nightclub in Mayfair. Prosecutors described the incident as "unprovoked". Brown has pleaded not guilty to the assault charge. So did his co-defendant, Omololu Akinlolu, better known as Hood Baby, who was accused of attempted grievous bodily harm.

Chris Brown's assault charges: More details

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, Chris Brown allegedly smashed a tequila bottle over Diaw's head on February 19, 2023, at the upscale Mayfair nightclub Tape.

Reports say that Brown punched Diaw many times before following him down and beating and kicking him as other people fled away. Diaw had to go to the hospital since he sustained serious injuries, such as slashes to his head. According to The Washington Post, the incident was captured on surveillance cameras.

Chris Brown was arrested at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester in early May 2025 after a warrant was issued for his arrest. This was his first trip to the UK since the incident. He was released on May 21 after paying a £5 million ($6.7 million) security fee to the court, which he would forfeit if he breached the terms of the conditional bail.

His conditional release demanded that he give up his passport and only get it back when he needed to travel for performances. He started the Breezy Bowl XX worldwide tour in Amsterdam on June 8.

On June 20, Chris Brown and Akinlolu both attended the court hearing. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty to separate accusations of causing serious bodily harm. The prosecution argues that Brown's activities were caught on closed-circuit video and show that the alleged assault was planned.

Chris Brown's lawyers said that the evidence would reveal that the witnesses' stories don't match up and that the video isn't clear. The court put off the trial, which is now set to start on October 26, 2026, and last for five to seven days.

There will be pre-trial hearings between now and the trial in October 2026 to talk about evidence disclosure, witness testimony, and any moves to exclude or accept particular documents, such as the nightclub's CCTV footage.

If Brown breaks any of the rules of his bail, he will be sent back into custody. Diaw has also launched a civil lawsuit for £12 million, stating that his injuries caused him harm. This is happening at the same time as the criminal trial.

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