A jury in Los Angeles has found US singer Chris Brown liable for a vicious dog attack that left his former housekeeper permanently disfigured, ordering him and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, to pay nearly $12.9 million in damages.
The verdict followed a two week trial over an incident at Brown’s home in Tarzana, California, in December 2020, when Maria Avila was attacked by a 200 pound Caucasian shepherd named Hades while taking out the rubbish.
Avila suffered devastating injuries after the dog tore away large sections of skin from her face and arm. She told the court the attack left her with permanent facial disfigurement, severe scarring, nerve damage, vision loss and limited use of her arm. Surgeons carried out skin grafts using tissue from her abdomen to repair the damage.
During the trial, jurors heard that Brown left the property instead of calling emergency services. According to court testimony, he said he feared a media frenzy if he was present when police arrived or if his voice appeared on the emergency call. Brown told the court he was shocked by the amount of blood and followed advice from his manager to leave the scene.
Brown admitted some responsibility before the trial but argued that Avila shared blame for the attack. He claimed he had warned Maria Avila and her sister Patricia, who also worked at the property, that the dogs were not friendly and should only be approached when security staff were present. Both women denied receiving any such warning and said a language barrier made that conversation unlikely.
The singer also maintained that Hades was owned and handled by his security team rather than being his personal pet. He said the animal was kept to protect the property because he regularly faced stalking incidents.
The jury rejected Brown’s defence and found him negligent. Billboard reported that Brown and Black Pyramid LLC must pay Maria Avila $12.9 million in damages.
Patricia Avila was also awarded $885,000, while Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, received $50,000.
Patricia’s lawyer, Michael C Murphy, welcomed the ruling, saying his client and her family had finally received justice after more than five years of legal proceedings.
Brown’s representatives have not publicly commented on the verdict.
The ruling comes as Brown continues his United States tour with Usher. He is also due to stand trial in the United Kingdom in October over allegations that he assaulted a music producer with a bottle at a London nightclub in 2023. Brown has denied wrongdoing in that case and was granted bail after appearing in court earlier this year alongside co defendant Omololu Akinlolu.
