Chris Brown will avoid prison time, for now, in the London case concerning his assault of a music producer at a nightclub three years ago.
The Grammy-winning R&B star, 37, appeared Monday at Southwark Crown Court, where a judge handed down an eight-month sentence, suspended for a year. The musician faced up to three years in prison after he pleaded not guilty in July to one count of affray. The Times did not immediately hear back on Monday from a representative for Brown, who promoted his tour on Instagram ahead of the hearing.
Brown was arrested in May 2025 on suspicion of causing “grievous bodily harm,” a count that officials said at the time originated from a 2023 “incident at a venue in Hanover Square.” Prosecutors accused Brown of attacking music producer Amadeus “Abe” Diaw with a bottle of tequila at nightclub Tape London in February 2023. Diaw previously raised these allegations against Brown in a civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles in October 2023. He sued Brown for assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, claiming in court documents that the singer “brutally assaulted” him by “beating him over the head” and that he “continued to ruthlessly stomp” on him as he lay unconscious on the nightclub floor after the bottle attack.
The musician initially pleaded not guilty to a charge of grievous bodily harm in June 2025 but reversed his plea in July. Before the reversal, Brown was set to stand trial this month. Brown’s friend Omololu Akinlolu (who performs as HoodyBaby), was also accused of grievous bodily harm for his involvement in the 2023 attack and pleaded guilty to a count of affray. Akinlolu was sentenced Monday to four months in prison, suspended for a year.
Amid the legal fray across the pond and at home, Brown has been on the road with Usher for their joint North American stadium tour. The singers are expected to perform at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium on Nov. 15 and 16.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
