Singer Chris Brown pleads not guilty in London assault case
LONDON (AP) — Grammy-winning singer Chris Brown pleaded not guilty Friday to a charge related to the serious beating of a music producer with a bottle in a London nightclub in 2023.
Brown, 36, pleaded not guilty in Southwark Crown Court to one count of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
Brown's friend and fellow musician Omololu Akinlolu, 38, who performs under the name 'Hoody Baby,' pleaded not guilty to the same charge.
Prosecutors said Brown and Akinlolu assaulted producer Abe Diaw at a bar in the Tape nightclub in the swanky Mayfair neighborhood in February 2023. Brown allegedly launched an unprovoked attack on Diaw and hit him several times with a bottle and then punched and kicked him.
The attack was caught on surveillance camera in front of a club full of people, prosecutors said.
Brown was released last month on 5 million-pound ($6.75 million) bail, which allowed him to start his world tour earlier this month.
Brown, who burst onto the music scene as a teen in 2005, won his first Grammy for best R&B album in 2011 for 'F.A.M.E.' and then earned his second in the same category for '11:11 (Deluxe)' earlier this year.
His hits include songs such as 'Run It,' 'Kiss Kiss' and 'Without You.'
His tour is due to kick off June 8 in Amsterdam before starting North America shows in July.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
16 minutes ago
- USA Today
Beyoncé delivers on Night 1 in Paris: Miley Cyrus surprise, fans honor Juneteenth, more
Beyoncé delivers on Night 1 in Paris: Miley Cyrus surprise, fans honor Juneteenth, more PARIS — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter debuted her her first 'Cowboy Carter' concert in Paris, and the night turned out to be another spectacle filled with special surprises, new outfits and high energy. The Grammy-winning singer kicked off her show on June 19 at Stade de Frances around 8:56 p.m local time. The show marked the first show at the stadium on her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour. She is set to hit the stage again on June 21 and 22. 'Paris, France, I have to say I'm very grateful to be on the stage. We have a very special show for y'all," Beyoncé said as she opened the show. Fans celebrate Juneteenth at Beyoncé first Paris show Prior to the June 19 concert, a group of France-based fans planned a powerful display at her concert to commemorate the Juneteenth holiday, which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. "This day is very important for Beyoncé, and the 'Cowboy Carter' tour. It's a day when the last enslaved Back people in the U.S. learned they were free. It was 1865, on 19th of June," says Sarah Farajaoui who was behind the fan-led project. "This is a way to celebrate freedom. This is a way to celebrate justice and to say, 'Beyoncé we understood the assignment and we're here to celebrate with this day.'" For the project, she and other friends distributed thousands of Juneteenth flags for fans to hold up as Beyoncé performed her song "Freedom." "The atmosphere was fantastic," says Jazmine Goodwine, who flew to Paris from the U.S. for the occasion. "To be here on freedom day was out of this world. To see people pay homage to her roots on Juneteenth was something spectacular, and it fulfilled me in ways I didn't know was possible." Beyoncé brings out Miley Cyrus as a special guest One of the biggest highlights of the evening came when Beyoncé brought out Miley Cryus and the two women sang their beloved duet "II Most Wanted." Dressed in all gold, the Grammy-winning singers held hands and the crowd went wild as Cryus approached the stage. 'I love y'all so much. I'm super excited because I wanted to do something very special for your guys," Beyoncé said. "Give it up. I'm so grateful to sing with you Ms. Miley Cyrus." At the 2025 Grammy awards, the women took home the award for best country duo/group performance for "II Most Wanted." The surprises continued with Beyoncé's new fashion looks Of course, Beyoncé's tour has been a huge showcase of fashion and creativity. Each night, Beyoncé continues to blend high fashion and cowboy couture, keeping fans on the edge of their seats as they anticipate a new look. There's been many looks incorporating Western-glam: sparkly chaps, cowboy hats, boots and lots of fringe. Thursday's show was no different. Bey opened her Paris stint with all-new outfits, and fans took note of the head-turning looks. As fans know, Beyoncé first debuted her "Cowboy Carter" tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with 39 songs on the set list. Her shows have been filled with family, fashion, different music genres, and most notably country music and cultural commentary. The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26. Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
San Francisco Chronicle
17 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
British superyacht Bayesian resurfaces for 1st time since August sinking ahead of recovery
ROME (AP) — The British superyacht that sank off Sicily last August killing seven people resurfaced for the first time Friday as salvage recovery crews readied it to be hauled ashore for further investigation. The white top and blue hull of the 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian emerged from the depths of the sea in a holding area of a yellow floating crane barge. The coast guard said the actual recovery was scheduled to begin Saturday morning. A spokesman for TMC Maritime, which is conducting the recovery operation, said the vessel has been slowly raised from the seabed, 50 meters (165-feet) down, over the past three days to allow the steel lifting straps, slings and harnesses to be secured under the keel. What became visible for the first time Friday on the surface of the water was the top of the passenger area of the Bayesian where passengers would sit, known as the accommodation area, said a spokesman for TMC Maritime, David Wilson. The British-flagged luxury superyacht sank Aug. 19 off Porticello near Palermo during a violent storm, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch, his daughter and five others. Fifteen people survived, including the captain and all crew members except the chef. Italian authorities are conducting a full criminal investigation. When it resurfaced, the Bayesian was missing its 72-meter (236-foot) mast, which was cut down and left on the seabed for future removal. The mast had to be detached to allow the hull to be brought to a nearly upright position that would allow the craft to be surfaced, TMC Maritime said earlier this week. British investigators said in an interim report issued last month that the yacht was knocked over by 'extreme wind' and couldn't recover. The report stated that the Bayesian had chosen the site where it sank as shelter from forecast thunderstorms. Wind speeds exceeded 70 knots (81 mph) at the time of the sinking and 'violently' knocked the vessel over to a 90-degree angle in under 15 seconds. Lynch had been celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with his family and the people who had defended him at trial.
Miami Herald
29 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Chris Brown pleads not guilty in London nightclub assault case
June 20 (UPI) -- R&B singer Chris Brown pleaded not guilty Friday to assault charges related to an act of violence at a London nightclub. Brown entered the plea at Southwark Crown Court in London, and the judge then adjourned the arraignment, which moves the next step of the case to July before a trial set for October of 2026. Brown allegedly attacked music producer Abraham Diaw in February of 2023 with a bottle of tequila at Tape nightclub in London. He was arrested in May on charges related to the incident of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and was then held in custody for almost a week before being released on $6.7 million bail. Co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, who performs under the name HoodyBaby, also pleaded not guilty Friday at the court to a charge of attempted grievous bodily harm in the same case. Under conditions of his bail, Brown must reside in the United Kingdom until his trial, and had his passport confiscated by police. The bail conditions do allow him to tour and perform, meaning he can have his passport for travel to shows. The Grammy Award-winning musician is currently taking part in his Breezy Bowl XX world tour and performed Sunday night in the British city of Manchester, at which he reportedly acknowledged fans for their support before also thanking the jail where he was held. "It was really nice," he told the crowd of his time in custody. Brown is next scheduled to perform at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
