R&B superstar Chris Brown has been ordered to pay nearly $13 million (about R230 million) after a Los Angeles jury found him liable for a horrific dog attack that left one of his former housekeepers permanently scarred and traumatised.
The verdict brings to an end a bitter legal battle that stretched for more than five years after Maria Avila sued the singer in 2021 over the December 2020 attack at his Tarzana, California, home.
Avila told jurors she was taking out rubbish when Brown’s 90kg Caucasian shepherd guard dog, Hades, suddenly lunged at her, tearing into her face and left arm.
She underwent multiple surgeries, dozens of stitches and skin grafts. Avila told the court she has been left with permanent nerve damage, post-traumatic stress disorder and reduced use of her arm, making it impossible for her to return to work.
The jury awarded Avila $12.9 million in damages. Her sister, Patricia Avila, who also worked for Brown, received $885,000 for emotional distress, while Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, was awarded $50,000.
Brown said he warned about the dogs
During the trial, Brown admitted he was negligent but insisted he had warned both sisters never to enter the yard unless he or security staff were present, as the dogs were aggressive.
“I get a lot of stalker-type situations,” Brown testified, explaining why he kept the large guard dog on the property. He also maintained Hades belonged to his security operation rather than being a family pet. Brown also acknowledged leaving the property before paramedics arrived, telling jurors he did so on the advice of his manager to avoid what he described as “a media circus, because of my status as an artist.”
The Avila sisters denied ever receiving any warning about the dogs, and jurors ultimately sided with them. The path to the verdict was not easy. The civil trial was delayed several times and, just weeks before the final judgment, proceedings were thrown into chaos when a juror improperly researched the case online and shared information with fellow jurors. The judge declared a mistrial, which forced the lawyers to start over with a new jury before the case could finally be heard.
Following the ruling, Patricia Avila’s attorney, Michael C Murphy Jr, welcomed the outcome.
“After more than five years of litigating against Chris Brown, we are thrilled that we were able to get justice for our client, Patricia,” he told Rolling Stone. “We are so happy for her and her family after everything they went through on that horrible day.”
The dog involved in the attack was later euthanised after authorities deemed it dangerous.
Long list of legal troubles
The latest judgment adds to Brown’s long list of legal troubles. In 2009, he pleaded guilty to assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna and was sentenced to probation, community service and a restraining order.
He later served jail time after violating his probation. Brown has also faced multiple civil lawsuits over alleged assaults and remains due to stand trial in the United Kingdom later this year after pleading not guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent over an alleged 2023 nightclub assault in London.
He is also pursuing a defamation lawsuit against a woman who accused him of rape and previously sued the producers of the documentary Chris Brown: A History of Violence, although part of that case was dismissed earlier this year.
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- Chris Brown was ordered to pay nearly $13 million after a jury found him liable for a dog attack by his guard dog, Hades, which left former housekeeper Maria Avila permanently scarred and traumatized.
- The attack occurred in December 2020 at Brown's Tarzana home, where Avila suffered severe facial and arm injuries requiring multiple surgeries and resulting in permanent nerve damage and PTSD.
- The jury also awarded damages to Avila’s sister for emotional distress and her husband for related impacts, as Brown admitted negligence but claimed he had warned the sisters about the aggressive dogs.
- Jurors sided with the Avila sisters, who denied receiving any warnings; the trial faced delays and a mistrial due to juror misconduct before concluding with the verdict.
- The dog was euthanized for being dangerous, and this case adds to Brown’s extensive legal issues, including previous assault convictions and ongoing lawsuits.
