Chris Brown appears in court over alleged bottle attack
The 36-year-old singer has pleaded not guilty
Chris Brown arrives at Southwark Crown Court, south London
(Image: James Manning/PA Wire )
R&B singer Chris Brown has arrived in court over an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub. Last month the 36 year-old US musician pleaded not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent to Abraham Diaw at the Tape venue, a private members' club in Hanover Square, Mayfair, on February 19 2023.
On Friday, Brown makes another appearance at London's Southwark Crown for a plea hearing amid preparations for his trial which is set for October. His co-defendant, US national Omololu Akinlolu, 39, has also pleaded not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.
Both men are further charged with assaulting Mr Diaw occasioning him actual bodily harm, with Brown also facing one count of having an offensive weapon, a bottle, in a public place. The two-time Grammy award winner, which hits including Run It! and Go Crazy, has managed to press on with his scheduled international tour despite his legal battle.
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He is on conditional bail and performed in Cardiff in June as part of a stadium tour which was billed as a celebration of the past 20 years of his career. He had to pay a £5 million security fee to the court as part of the bail agreement, which is a financial guarantee to ensure a defendant returns to court and may be forfeited if they breach bail conditions.
At his last court appearance, his defence counsel Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC told the hearing it had been difficult to discuss matters with her client while he is working.
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Wales Online
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- Wales Online
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He has also worked with the Jackson Family MOVIE MAGIC Grammy award winner confirms biopic on legendary singer B.B. King in the works – and The Masked Singer star taking part Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A GRAMMY-award winning entertainment mogul has confirmed a poignant biopic on blues legend B.B. King - with a star from The Masked Star taking part. Vassal Benford, who has worked with superstars including Jennifer Lopez, Michael Bublé, Diplo and Mariah Carey, hailed the beloved icon - who would have turned 100 this year. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Music producer Vassal Benford has teased a new biopic about the blues legend B.B. King Credit: Vassal Benford 4 BB King on stage in London in 2011 Credit: Redferns Benford, a famous music producer, record executive, and film composer, has teased the release of a new multi-million-dollar film on the legendary King, who died 10 years ago. 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King is one of the most iconic characters of all time from the blues." The mogul, who lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, said he "knows so many people in the entertainment industry who were influenced by B.B. King." "I want to show what his life story is and how he has impacted on so many artists - and others - across the world, with his music. "Anyone who comes from that era who can turn around and touch the world, despite the odds, and make it big that time... I admire him his life story. "And you have to remember this is his centenary - 100 years of blues," he added. I want to show what his life story is and how he has impacted on so many artists. The icon's nickname was King of the Blues, and he continued to perform well into his 80s even though the 15-time Grammy winner had diabetes. B.B. King: more on the legendary blues king For most of his career spanning nearly 70 years, Riley B. King was hailed as the undisputed king of the blues, thanks to his scorching guitar licks and heartfelt vocals - sung with a velvety voice. Born Riley B. King on Sept. 16, 1925, on a tenant farm near Itta Bena, Mississippi, King was raised by his grandmother after his parents separated and his mother died. A preacher uncle taught him to play, and he honed his technique in abject poverty in the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the blues. The legend became a mentor to scores of guitarists, including Eric Clapton, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayall and Keith Richards. King recorded more than 50 albums and toured the world, often performing 250 or more concerts a year. He continued to perform well into his 80s, even though the 15-time Grammy winner had diabetes. King played a Gibson guitar that he affectionately called Lucille. His style included beautifully crafted single-string runs punctuated by loud chords, subtle vibratos and bent notes. The result could bring chills to an audience, no more so than when King used it to full effect on his signature song, The Thrill is Gone. He would make his guitar shout and cry in anguish as he told the tale of forsaken love, then end with a guttural shouting of the final lines: 'Now that it's all over, all I can do is wish you well.' King died at age 89 in May 2015 at his home in Las Vegas. King, who got his start in radio with a gospel quartet in Mississippi before moving to Memphis, Tennessee, died in 2015 at home in Vegas. Benford said that, at the time of his passing, he had also been living in Vegas, as "my godfather lived here - he passed around the same time as B.B. King." Because of his huge connections within the entertainment industry, he was approached by King's family to become chairman of the B.B. King Estate, where he plays a key role in preserving and expanding the legacy of the blues icon. Benford explained, "I wasn't the chair of the estate at that time, but I was approached by the family to become its head - I was producing Richie Sambora, and met the grandson of B.B. King and one thing led to the other." U2 TRIBUTE He has since overseen initiatives to honor King's life and huge contributions to music. Just last year, U2 paid tribute to the legend during their Las Vegas residency at The Sphere. Although he didn't reveal the release date of the upcoming biopic, Benford said, "It's in pre-production right now. "It'll be released into cinemas worldwide - there will be an announcement on the release in 2026." He said the pre-production phase includes working alongside producer Mark Canton, known for films such as 300, Immortals, and the Power television series. Benford is co-chairman and CEO of Benford & Canton Studios, a media production company he co-founded with Canton. Last year he co-produced several tracks on Chris Brown's album 11.11, which received a Grammy nomination and won R&B Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammy Awards. RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE Benford showed The U.S. Sun an impressive collection of memorabilia including a very rare glimpse of the original Rumble in the Jungle guitar used by B.B. King himself. The legend used his original model at a music festival which promoted the famous heavyweight boxing match between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali in Zaire 1974. 4 Aloe Blacc's music will feature Credit: Getty 4 Quavo seen at the 2025 Players Party in Atlanta in July Credit: Getty
