American R&B singer Chris Brown on Friday pleaded not guilty in a UK court to a charge stemming from an alleged London nightclub brawl in 2023.
Brown, 36, wearing a dark suit and tie as well as glasses, stood in the dock in London as the charge was put to him, replying: “Not guilty, ma’am.”
The singer, who is on £5 million ($6.7 million) bail, waved to people in the public gallery as he left, following his plea to allegedly attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
A five to seven-day long trial was scheduled to start on October 26, 2026.
The singer was held in custody for a nearly a week in May after he was arrested in the northwestern city of Manchester. He was later released on bail.
Under the terms of his bail, he will forfeit the £5 million guarantee if he fails to return for court proceedings.
He was also given the go-ahead to continue his scheduled international tour which began on June 8 in Amsterdam.
The star, who had a troubled relationship with Barbadian singer Rihanna, is on the UK leg of his tour, with his next date in London on Saturday.
Brown is charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to an assault in which the victim was allegedly struck several times with a bottle before being pursued, punched and kicked.
The alleged incident took place at a nightclub in Hanover Square in London on February 19, 2023 while Brown was touring in the UK.
Police detained him in the early hours of May 13 at a five-star hotel in Manchester after he reportedly flew in by private jet.
Other bail terms include that he should surrender his passport if he is not travelling.
He is also required to live at a specific address known to the court and is not permitted to visit the nightclub were the alleged assault took place or contact the alleged victim, Abraham Diah.
He appeared in the dock with co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, a US national, with whom he is jointly charged.
Akinlolu also entered a not guilty plea to the same charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
Both men are also jointly charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
They will enter pleas to that charge on July 11, the court was told.
Brown also faces a third charge of having an offensive weapon, a bottle, in public.
The Grammy-winning singer is known for mid-2000s hits such as “Kiss, Kiss”.
He rose from a local church choir in Virginia to sudden fame with his rich R&B voice and later rap, but his reputation has been tarnished by the allegations of abuse.
He also are also scheduled to perform in France, Portugal and the US later in the year, before the tour wraps up in Memphis in mid-October.
AFP
