Chris Brown pleads not guilty to assault charge in UK court, Entertainment News
The 36-year-old singer is accused of assaulting the music producer Abraham Diaw at the Tape nightclub in Mayfair in February 2023 in an incident that has been described as "unprovoked" by prosecutors.
Brown also faces charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and having an offensive weapon in the form of a tequila bottle relating to the same incident and both charges were added to his indictment ahead of Friday morning's (June 20) hearing at Southwark Crown Court - which came just hours after he had performed at Cardiff's Principality Stadium as part of his Breezy Bowl XX World Tour.
The Beautiful People hitmaker will return to court on July 11 to enter pleas to those charges before facing trial on Oct 26, 2026.
Brown confirmed his name and date of birth at the hearing before entering his plea, stating: "Not guilty ma'am."
The music star's co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu - an American national who performs under the name HoodyBaby - also entered a not guilty plea to the charge of grievous bodily harm.
Brown was arrested in Manchester last month after his arrival in the UK to prepare for a series of European dates on his world tour .
The R+B star was held in custody for nearly a week before he was released after agreeing to pay a £5 million (S$8.7m) security fee to the court.
The security fee is a financial guarantee to ensure he returns to court and Brown could be asked to forfeit the money should he breach his bail conditions.
Judge Tony Baumgartner confirmed that the singer would be allowed to continue his world tour and the UK leg started last weekend.
During his gig in Manchester last Sunday (June 15), Brown thanked fans "for coming and supporting me".
The Go Crazy singer quipped: "And thank you to the jail. It was really nice."
Brown's tour - which marks the 20th anniversary of his eponymous debut album - continues with two gigs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London this weekend and his next court hearing will take place once the European dates are complete.
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