Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty In London Nightclub Incident
Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty In Alleged Bottle-Hitting London Nightclub Incident
R&B star Chris Brown appeared in a courtroom in London on Friday morning (June 20) to plead not guilty to a charge of grievous bodily harm involving a producer, Abraham Diaw. The “unprovoked attack” as described by prosecutor Hannah Nicholls took place at the Tape Nightclub in February 2023, according to Deadline. Brown appeared before the judge along with rapper HoodyBaby, aka Omolulu Akinlolu who was also allegedly involved in the incident.
The 36-year-old singer is accused of striking Diaw with a tequila bottle in addition to kicking and punching him at the nightclub in the Soho district during the incident. Prosecutors described Brown allegedly striking Diaw with the bottle at the outset of the incident.
“The defendant then pursued him to a separate area of the nightclub where the victim was punched and kicked repeatedly by him and another,” prosecutors said.
He also faces charges for having an offensive weapon and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, which were added to the indictment before the hearing, according to reporting by the BBC. Brown won’t need to enter a plea on those charges until July 11.
Brown was arrested for the alleged attack on May 13 during the late hours at the Lowry Hotel in Greater Manchester, and appeared at a hearing at Manchester Magistrates Court where he was denied bail and ordered to be in custody until June 13. He was released after paying a security fee of five million pounds. Brown’s legal team reached a deal with the court to allow him to continue with the European dates of his Breezy Bowl world tour; the original bail agreement stipulated that he was to remain in the United Kingdom and surrender his passport.
The “Loyal” singer kicked off the UK-based leg of the tour last weekend, and had recently performed in Manchester where he thanked the fans in attendance “for coming and supporting me” while on stage. Brown also cracked jokes about his time in custody. “And thank you to the jail,” he continued. “It was really nice.”
Brown is set to appear for trial in court for the primary charge on October 26, 2026.
