Chris Brown was dealt a massive blow after losing a civil case stemming from a dog attack that occurred at his California home in December 2020. Nearly five years after the lawsuit was filed, the singer was ordered to pay $13 million in damages to his former housekeeper, who suffered severe injuries in the incident.

As that legal battle comes to a close, Brown is now preparing for a criminal trial in London, where he faces charges related to an alleged assault.

Chris Brown Suffers Major Legal Defeat

On June 30, a California jury reached a verdict in a civil case against Chris Brown. In 2021, the singer’s former housekeeper, Maria Avila, filed a lawsuit claiming that Brown’s negligence led to a dog attack that left her disfigured.

In her court testimony, Maria told the jury that she feared for her life during the attack. “First he attacked this part of my face, and then he grabbed my arm, and he dragged me… He bit a part of my arm, and he dragged me some distance, but I don’t know the distance,” she said.

The housekeeper added that she saw Brown after she was attacked, but he didn’t make a 911 call. Instead, he asked his team to do it.

The trial, which lasted for two weeks, ended with the jury siding with Maria. The judge ordered Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, to pay $12.9 million in damages to the housekeeper, as reported by Billboard.

Other Plaintiffs Were Awarded Hefty Sums As Well

In addition to Maria, the lawsuit against Brown included her sister, Patricia Avila, and her husband, Oscar Olivo, as plaintiffs.

Patrica, who worked alongside her sister on Brown’s property when the incident happened, claimed emotional distress. She testified that she was traumatized after holding her sister, who had been severely injured and was bleeding profusely following the dog attack.

Oscar, on the other hand, claimed loss of consortium. He said that his wife’s injuries left physical and psychological trauma that negatively affected their intimacy and marriage.

Patricia and Oscar also received damages totaling $885,000 and $50,000, respectively.

The Lawsuit Against Chris Brown

In 2021, Maria claimed Brown was responsible for the dog attack that happened at Brown’s mansion in Tarzana. The housekeeper said that she was taking out trash when the singer’s massive Caucasian Shepherd, Hades, attacked her out of nowhere.

Maria claimed no one came to her rescue while she was being attacked, and when Brown saw her, he told his team to get the dogs and disperse before authorities and paramedics arrived. 911 later arrived and rushed her to the hospital. She suffered facial trauma, severe damage to her arm, vision loss, nerve damage, and lasting mobility issues.

The incident also had a lasting impact, with Maria claiming she has severe PTSD and developed a fear of dogs.

The Singer Admitted Partial Responsibility For The Attack

In a pretrial legal stipulation, Brown admitted negligence, stating that Maria was entitled to “some damages,” but noted that when it came to the monetary value, there was a “difference of opinion.” The housekeeper initially sought $90 million in damages. With the admission of partial responsibility, the case focused on how much Brown was at fault instead of whether he was at fault.

In court, Brown’s attorneys argued that he was “not fully responsible” for the attack, claiming that Maria went out alone despite being warned that the dogs were not friendly. Furthermore, the singer said Hades wasn’t his personal pet. The dog was owned by his head of security and was on the property as a guard dog.

“I’m not 100% responsible for it, but I accept what happened,” Brown testified. As for why he didn’t call 911 himself and left the property before authorities arrived, he claimed he wanted to avoid the “media circus” due to his celebrity status.

Chris Brown’s Upcoming London Trial

With the dog attack case now behind him, Brown is turning his attention to another trial, this time involving assault charges.

Brown is facing charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and possession of an offensive weapon after an incident at a London nightclub that prosecutors say was unprovoked.

In February 2023, an altercation between Brown and music producer Abraham Diaw occurred at the VIP section of a nightclub, in which the singer allegedly punched, kicked, and hit Diaw with a bottle. The incident was caught on surveillance video, but it wasn’t until May 2025 that he was arrested. He posted a $6.7 million bail.

Brown pleaded not guilty and is due to appear in court in October.