Chris Brown is about to go, in his own words, “from cage to stage.”
The controversial R&B star on Wednesday confirmed in an Instagram story that he is moving forward with his upcoming Breezy Bowl tour next month after its status seemed uncertain amid his arrest last week in Manchester, England. The “Kiss Kiss” singer was released Wednesday from a jail in Salford, outside of Manchester, on $6.7-million bail.
Southwark Crown Court judge Tony Baumgartner said in a hearing that the Grammy winner could embark on his tour, which is set to kick off June 8 in Amsterdam and will make numerous U.K. stops, including three shows in Manchester. Baumgartner required Brown (who was not present) to pay the bail to guarantee his court appearance.
Prior to Wednesday’s hearing, a British judge had denied the 36-year-old musician’s bail request and ordered him to remain in custody in London until a June 13 hearing. That would have conflicted with the early stops on his tour.
Brown was arrested May 15 in a Manchester hotel on suspicion of causing “grievous bodily harm,” a charge that stems from a February 2023 incident in Hanover Square, police confirmed to The Times last week. Though officials did not disclose additional details about the arrest — including the nature and location of the central incident — the charge closely resembles allegations a music producer levied against Brown in an October 2023 civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Music producer Amadou “Abe” Diaw sued Brown for assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, claiming in court documents the singer “brutally assaulted” him by “beating him over the head” with a bottle of Don Julio 1942 Tequila on Feb. 19, 2023, at Tape London, a nightclub. Diaw claims Brown “continued to ruthlessly stomp” on him as he lay unconscious on the nightclub floor after the bottle attack.
Diaw’s suit also names Live Nation, Sony, RCA Records and musician Omololu Akinlolu (who performs as HoodyBaby) among the co-defendants. Akinlolu also joined Brown in kicking him in the stomach and legs during the 2023 incident, Diaw alleged in his lawsuit.
Akinlolu was charged over the weekend with causing grievous bodily harm in connection to the 2023 assault. Neither of the musicians have entered a plea yet in the U.K. case and both are ordered to return to court on June 20.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
