Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to charges connected to an alleged nightclub altercation in London, following a court appearance on Friday.
The 36-year-old R&B singer stood before a UK judge dressed in a dark suit and glasses, calmly responding “Not guilty, ma’am” when formally charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent. The incident reportedly took place at a nightclub in Hanover Square on February 19, 2023, during Brown’s UK tour.
According to court documents, the alleged victim was struck multiple times with a bottle, then pursued, punched, and kicked. Brown is also facing a separate charge for possessing an offensive weapon—a bottle—in public.
His co-defendant, Omololu Akinlolu, an American national, appeared alongside him in court and also pleaded not guilty to the same charges. Both men are expected to enter pleas on an additional count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm at a separate hearing scheduled for July 11.
The trial is set to begin on October 26, 2026, and is expected to run for up to seven days.
Following his arrest in Manchester in May, Brown spent nearly a week in custody before being released on a £5 million bail. The terms of his bail require that he surrender his passport when not on tour, reside at a court-approved address, avoid the nightclub involved in the incident, and have no contact with the alleged victim, Abraham Diah. If he fails to appear in court, he risks losing the full bail amount.
Despite the legal troubles, Brown has been cleared to continue his international tour, which launched in Amsterdam on June 8. He is currently performing in the UK, with his next show scheduled in London on Saturday. The tour will continue through France, Portugal, and the U.S., wrapping up in Memphis in mid-October.
A Grammy Award winner, Brown rose to fame in the early 2000s with hits like “Kiss Kiss.” His career, while successful, has been marked by several controversies and legal issues over the years.
