Singer Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty in a UK court to a charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, in connection with an alleged brawl at a London nightclub in 2023. The 36-year-old musician was accused of pursuing Abraham Diaw around the upscale Tape nightclub in Mayfair, where Diaw claims he was punched and kicked. The incident is said to have occurred on February 19, 2023.
Brown appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Friday morning alongside his co-defendant, Omololu Akinlolu, a 38-year-old US national, for a plea and trial preparation hearing. Both men are charged in relation to the same incident.
Prosecutors alleged that Diaw was initially struck several times with a bottle while standing at the bar, before being chased to another part of the venue and assaulted further. Brown was arrested by Metropolitan Police detectives in the early hours of May 15 at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester. He had flown into Manchester Airport by private jet ahead of his scheduled UK tour dates.
Following his arrest, Brown was remanded to HMP Forest Bank in Salford and released on conditional bail six days later, on May 21. As part of his bail agreement, he was required to post a £5 million security—a financial guarantee to ensure compliance with court conditions. Despite the charges, Brown was permitted to continue his international tour. Shortly after his release, he referenced the situation on social media, posting on Instagram: “FROM THE CAGE TO THE STAGE!!! BREEZYBOWL.”
Chris Brown’s criminal history
In 2009, Chris Brown was involved in a highly publicised domestic violence incident with then-girlfriend Rihanna. The altercation escalated into physical violence, leaving Rihanna with visible facial injuries that required hospitalisation. Brown was charged with felony assault and making criminal threats on March 5, 2009. He pleaded guilty to felony assault on June 22 of that year and accepted a plea deal that included community labor, five years of probation, and mandatory domestic violence counseling. After completing the yearlong domestic violence program in 2010, Brown expressed pride in his progress. In a now-deleted post on X, he wrote: “I have enough self-respect and decency to be proud of accomplishing this DV class. Boyz run from [their] mistakes. Men learn from them!!!”