Chris Brown arrested in U.K. for alleged attack at London club in 2023
/ CBS/AP
Singer Chris Brown was arrested Thursday in England for allegedly hitting someone with a bottle in a London nightclub in 2023.
The Metropolitan Police did not name Brown but said it took a 36-year-old into custody at a Manchester hotel on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. Under British law, police cannot name suspects before charges are filed.
The Sun, which first reported the story, said producer Abe Diaw told them Sunday that he was hospitalized after Brown beat him in an unprovoked attack at the Tape nightclub in the swanky Mayfair neighborhood in London in February 2023. Diaw told the Sun that Brown allegedly hit him over the head with a bottle before punching and kicking him as he lay on the floor.
The tabloid said it became aware Brown was in the U.K. on Wednesday and called police to find out if he was under arrest. The newspaper said Met officers then traveled to Manchester and made the arrest.
Brown's representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Diaw said Brown, who was on a U.K. tour at the time, cracked him on the head with a bottle and punched and kicked him on the floor. The producer has filed a 12 million pound ($16 million) lawsuit against the singer.
Brown, often called by his nickname Breezy, burst onto the music scene as a teen in 2005 and has become a major hitmaker over the years with notable songs such as "Run It," "Kiss Kiss" and "Without You." He won his first Grammy for best R&B album in 2011 for "F.A.M.E." then earned his second gold trophy in the same category for "11:11 (Deluxe)" earlier this year.
Brown has a history of legal issues dating back to his felony conviction in the 2009 assault of his then-girlfriend Rihanna. He pleaded guilty to felony assault at the time. In 2014, Brown pleaded guilty to hitting a man outside a Washington, D.C., hotel. In 2024, Brown, along with his paid entourage, allegedly beat several men who attended his concert in Texas.
Earlier this year, Brown sued Warner Bros. Discovery for defamation over labeling the singer as an abuser in the 2024 documentary "Chris Brown: A History of Violence."
The singer is launching an international tour next month with artists Jhene Aiko, Summer Walker and Bryson Tiller, opening with a European leg before starting North America shows in July.
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