American R&B singer Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) in connection with an alleged attack on music producer Abraham Diaw at a central London nightclub.
The 36-year-old appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Friday morning, just hours after performing for a crowd of thousands at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium as part of his “Breezy Bowl XX” world tour.
Brown, dressed in a sharp ocean blue suit and black-rimmed glasses, made no comment to the press as he arrived at court, passing a small crowd of fans and photographers. Once inside, he smiled and winked at a supporter before confirming his identity and entering a not guilty plea to the GBH charge. His co-defendant, 39-year-old American performer Omololu Akinlolu known by the stage name HoodyBaby also denied the same charge.
The case stems from an incident at Tape nightclub in Soho on 19 February 2023, where prosecutors allege Brown launched an “unprovoked attack” on Diaw. The court heard that Brown allegedly struck the producer multiple times with a tequila bottle while he was standing at the bar, before chasing him to another area of the club where he and Akinlolu allegedly punched and kicked him repeatedly.
Two additional charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon have since been added to Brown’s indictment. He will not be required to enter pleas on those counts until a further hearing on 11 July.
Brown was arrested in May at the five-star Lowry Hotel in Salford, Greater Manchester, after arriving in the UK to begin a series of European tour dates. He was held in custody for nearly a week before securing release by paying a £5 million security fee to the court. The security arrangement includes surrendering his passport and residing at a UK address while awaiting trial, although a special provision allows him to retrieve his passport temporarily to fulfill tour obligations.
During a performance in Manchester shortly after his release, Brown made light of his time in custody, telling fans, “Thank you to the jail, it was really nice.” Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, he continues to perform across Europe and is set to play two shows at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend.
The trial for the GBH charge has been scheduled to begin on 26 October 2026. Brown, a two-time Grammy Award winner with 19 UK top 10 singles, recently won Best Male R&B/Pop Artist at the BET Awards. His current tour marks the 20th anniversary of his debut album.