US singer Chris Brown charged with assault in Britain
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American R&B singer Chris Brown was reportedly arrested at a hotel in the north-western city of Manchester.
PHOTO: AFP
LONDON – American R&B singer Chris Brown, the former boyfriend of Barbadian superstar Rihanna, is due to appear in a British court on May 16 after being arrested and charged with an alleged assault at a London nightclub in 2023, the police said.
Brown, 36, is known for mid-2000s hits such as Kiss, Kiss (2007) and a litany of legal troubles, including a felony conviction for assaulting Rihanna, 37, in 2009.
He was arrested again in the early hours of May 15 at a hotel in Manchester, the Metropolitan Police said.
The singer, who has faced criminal accusations including sexual assault and domestic violence, remains in custody and will appear in court in the north-western city at 10am (5pm Singapore time) on May 16, the police said in a statement.
Brown was charged with “grievous bodily harm with intent” in relation to “an assault, which reportedly took place at a venue at Hanover Square in London” on Feb 19, 2023, the statement said.
Brown allegedly attacked music producer Abe Diaw with a bottle at Tape nightclub in London’s exclusive Mayfair district, The Sun daily reported.
The singer, who began his career in the 2000s and has sold tens of millions of records worldwide, was touring Britain at the time.
He reportedly flew into Manchester airport by private jet on May 14. He is due to embark on a world tour in June, including several scheduled dates in Britain in June and July.
Police detained Brown at the five-star Lowry Hotel in Manchester, according to media reports.
History of violence
The two-time Grammy winner rose to fame at a young age from a local church choir in Virginia with his rich R&B voice, but his reputation was later tarnished by allegations of domestic violence and other abuse.
He was convicted of having beaten Rihanna before the 2009 Grammy Awards, forcing the pop star to miss the annual gala.
In 2012, Brown was involved in an altercation at a New York nightclub with members of Canadian hip-hop star Drake’s entourage, during which French basketball star Tony Parker suffered an eye injury after being hit by a thrown glass bottle.
Two years later, he pled guilty to assaulting a fan in Washington.
Brown was also arrested in 2016 after a woman alleged that he pointed a gun at her. Earlier that year, another woman accused him of battery in Las Vegas. He also was accused of raping a woman in a luxury Paris hotel. He denied the claim and was not charged. AFP
