Chris Brown, accused of rape in Paris, has a decadelong history of legal troubles
Chris Brown, accused of rape in Paris, was questioned by police there Monday. Although charges haven’t been filed against the “Undecided” singer, the latest is part of a decadelong series of trouble he’s been in — much of it violent.
Brown was in custody over suspicion of aggravated rape and drug-related infractions, a spokesman for the French judiciary told the New York Times, but he was released on Tuesday afternoon. The prosecutor’s office told TMZ, “The investigations, which are not closed at this stage, will continue under the authority of the Paris prosecutor’s office.” He was released on his own recognizance, without bail, and was allowed to return to the United States.
The celebrity magazine Closer, which first reported Brown’s detention, said Brown was arrested Monday after a 24-year-old woman filed a complaint against him stemming from an encounter in luxury hotel Mandarin Oriental, Paris, after meeting at a club on Jan. 15. She also accused a friend of the singer and his bodyguard of raping her, the magazine reported.
Brown’s representative did not respond to Yahoo’s request for comment, but we will update this story if he does. However, the star posted this on Tuesday afternoon:
While there was initially no caption on the image, he later added that he wanted to make it “perfectly clear” that it was a “false” allegation and “a whole lot of crap.” He said it was against his “character and morals.” A day later, he deleted the whole thing.
Next month marks 10 years since Brown, a promising young talent at the time with hits like “Run It!” and “Kiss Kiss,” brutally assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna at a pre-Grammys party. Since then, it’s been one thing after another — falsifying his community service for the felony conviction, having a restraining order filed against him by model Karrueche Tran, allegedly threatened another woman with a gun, facing claims that he sucker-punched a paparazzo and illegally possessing an exotic monkey, among others. Truly, it’s quite a list, which we look at below, but we must point out that despite this, and in a time when the #MuteRKelly campaign is in full swing (R. Kelly has not been convicted of any crimes), Brown, a friend of Kelly’s, recently entered into a new record deal with RCA ahead of the release of his ninth album, Indigo.
Jan. 21 – 22, 2019: Brown was questioned by Paris police on aggravated rape and drug-related infractions. Two other men in his entourage are being accused as well. French officials later released him on his own recognizance, without bail. However, the investigation is ongoing, officials said. Brown took to social media on Tuesday afternoon to post, “This B!tch Lyin’.” He also wrote, “NNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEERRRRRR!!!!!!”
December 2018: Brown was charged with two misdemeanor counts stemming from his possession of an exotic pet monkey without a permit. He had posted a photo of his daughter, Royalty, cuddling with the capuchin monkey, Fiji, on social media in January and California Department of Fish and Wildlife agents took it away soon after. He’s scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 6.
July 2018: Brown was arrested for felony battery after a West Palm Beach, Fla., concert related to an outstanding felony arrest warrant over an alleged attack on a photographer at a Tampa nightclub in 2017.
May 2018: Attorney Gloria Allred filed a lawsuit against Brown and rapper Young Lo (Lowell Grissom Jr.) as defendants with a plaintiff, Jane Doe, claiming she was raped at Brown’s home in Feb. 2017. Although Grissom was accused of the sexual assault, not Brown, it took place at Brown’s home and he allegedly supplied partygoers with drugs. The woman, who said she was trapped at the house against her will, also said she was forced to perform sex acts on other people, including a woman who was menstruating, according to TMZ.
April 2017: Brown allegedly sucker-punched a 28-year-old club photographer in Tampa, Fla., during an appearance at AJA Channelside. The photographer said Brown attacked him while he took photos at the venue.
February 2017: Brown’s ex-girlfriend Tran filed for a restraining order against him after alleged death threats. The model said Brown texted her violent threats, such as “B**** I will beat the sh** out of you.” The order was later made permanent in June.
August 2016: Brown was arrested on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon after a standoff at his L.A. home. He was arrested, and subsequently released, when a woman called police claiming that he threatened her with a gun. The case didn’t move forward due to lack of evidence.
June 2016: Brown’s former manager sued him in California, claiming that Brown assaulted him in a “drug-fueled rage” in May 2016. Brown wrote on Instagram, “N***as is getting mad … because I fired them, because they’re stealing money.” The lawsuit is ongoing.
January 2016: Brown is investigated for misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor theft by police in Las Vegas after a woman claimed that he beat her and stole her cellphone during a party at the Palms Casino Resort. Brown’s representative called the charges “unequivocally untrue.”
July 2015: Brown is detained in the Philippines when there was a fraud investigation over his cancellation of a New Year’s Eve concert several months earlier after being paid to perform. He was later allowed to leave the country.
May 2015: Brown was named in a misdemeanor battery case in Las Vegas after a man claimed the singer hit him during a dispute at a basketball game at the Palms Casino Resort. The man later declined to press charges.
January 2015: Brown’s probation was revoked when a judge learned the singer traveled out of L.A. to San Jose without prior consent and was at a nightclub where five people were shot and wounded.
September 2014: Brown pleaded guilty to punching a man in the face outside a Washington, D.C., hotel the year before, an assault that occurred during his probation for attacking Rihanna.
March 2014: After Brown is kicked out of court-ordered rehab (for reportedly refusing drug tests, inappropriately touching female clients), he is sentenced to 131 days in jail for his probation violation. He was in jail from mid-March to early June.
February 2014: Brown and his bodyguard are sued for $3 million over the Washington, D.C., fight.
Also that month, during his court-ordered stay in rehab (apparently at another facility), Brown was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD.
October 2013: Brown and his bodyguard are charged with felony assault after brawling with another man outside the W Hotel in Washington, D.C., at 4:30 a.m. Brown headed to rehab soon after, but it didn’t last. He checked out after an episode that included throwing a brick through the window of his mom’s car.
August 2013: As a result of a hit-and-run a few months earlier, Brown’s probation was revoked and he ended up in jail, but was released in less than an hour. The case was later dismissed — after he reached a “civil compromise” with his accuser — and his probation was reinstated.
June 2013: A female clubgoer claimed Brown assaulted her, alleging that he pushed her off a stage in San Diego. Brown’s camp denied it.
Also that month, Brown was charged with hit-and-run after allegedly driving a car that rear-ended another car a month earlier in L.A. His probation was revoked.
February 2013: Brown violated his probation by falsifying his community service records. Prosecutors said Brown was not where he was told to be in order to carry out community service but was instead performing or traveling (once via private jet to Cancun). As a result, he was given 1,000 extra hours of community service.
January 2013: Brown got into another altercation with another singer, Frank Ocean. It took place at the Westlake Recording Studios in West Hollywood over a parking space. Police were called, but when they arrived, Brown was gone. It was reported that a member of Brown’s entourage used a homophobic slur against Ocean, and Brown allegedly punched Ocean and threatened to shoot him, but no charges were filed.
June 2012: During a night out at W.i.P. nightclub in New York City in June, Brown reportedly got into a bottle-throwing brawl with hip-hop rival Drake and their entourages over Rihanna. Brown fled from the scene before police arrived; neither star was charged. However, two months later, both Brown and Drake were sued for $16 million by Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (the owner of W.i.P. and Greenhouse nightclubs) as a result of their fight. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2013 and the men later made nice.
2011: The rapper stormed out of a Good Morning America interview when Robin Roberts asked about his assault conviction. When he returned to his dressing room, he threw furniture around and broke a window. He also reportedly confronted members of the show’s production staff and exited the building — shirtless.
2009: On the way home from a pre-Grammy Awards party on Feb. 8, Brown assaulted his girlfriend, Rihanna. According to reports, he tried to push her from a rented Lamborghini, slammed her head into the car window and repeatedly punched her in the face. He pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault. His plea deal included counseling, community service and five years of probation instead of jail time. He completed his probation in that case in 2015.
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