₦airaland Forum

US singer Chris Brown has been found liable for a dog attack that left his housekeeper mauled and disfigured at his home in 2020.

Following a two-week trial in Los Angeles, the jury found in favour of Maria Avila, who was attacked by a 200lb (90kg) Caucasian shepherd owned by Brown while she was emptying the rubbish at his house in Tarzana, California.

Brown and his company Black Pyramid LLC must now pay her $12.9m (£9.7m) for negligence, according to US publication Billboard.

BBC News has contacted representatives for Brown for comment.

Avila said the dog, named Hades, ripped off "large chunks of her skin", which subsequently led to permanent facial disfigurement, scarring, vision loss and nerve damage.

Brown had claimed that the dog was kept for security purposes and was not his personal pet.

During the trial, the jury heard testimony that indicated that, instead of calling the emergency services or attending to Avila himself, Brown fled the scene following the attack, Rolling Stone reported.

The jury heard that he left his employees to care for Avila, saying he feared there would be a "media circus" if his voice was heard on the 911 call or was present when police arrived.

Brown said he had been about to shower when he heard the dog growling, and went downstairs to find Avila lying motionless and covered in "a lot of blood".

"The blood kind of freaked me out," he said, adding that he was "in shock" when he followed his manager's advice to leave the scene before emergency services arrived.

Brown admitted some culpability before the trial began, but he disputed the extent of Avila's injuries and argued that she was partially at fault for the incident.

The singer said he had warned the sisters the dogs were "absolutely not" friendly and told them only to go outside when security were present.

The two housekeepers denied that conversation with Brown took place, and said the language barrier would have made such a discussion unlikely.

Brown said the dog was purchased and looked after by his security guards to help protect the house from break-ins, telling the jury: "I get a lot of stalker-type situations."

Speaking in Spanish with an interpreter, Avila told the court she was left with severe scarring on her face and left arm, as well as limited mobility after surgeons grafted skin from her abdomen to repair her arm.

Rolling Stone reported that she showed the jury "a pattern of scars running from beneath her left eye up across her forehead" as well as the "raised and pitted skin" on her forearm.

She stated in testimony that she had not been able to return to work as a housekeeper because of a lack in arm strength, as well as post-traumatic stress that prevents her being around dogs.

A further $885,000 (£668,000) has been awarded to Avila's sister Patricia, who was also working when the attack took place.

Maria Avila's husband Oscar Olivo was separately awarded $50,000 (£38,000), Patricia's lawyer Michael C Murphy told Billboard.

"After more than five years of litigating against Chris Brown, we are thrilled that we were able to get justice for our client, Patricia," he said.

"We are so happy for her and her family after everything they went through on that horrible day."

Representatives for Maria Avila and Oscar Olivo have not yet commented.

Brown is currently on tour in the US with R&B singer Usher.

Brown is scheduled to face trial in the UK in October over an alleged attack on a music producer with a bottle in a nightclub in 2023.

He appeared in court in the UK in January alongside co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu. The pair were granted bail.

Mattswaggz:
Sometimes, I do wonder why people keep such dangerous dogs in the name of pet/security in a residential building/area.....if one must keep such dogs in the name of security(because I don't even see the sense in keeping them as pet), then they should have a spelt out and suitable routine as to when the dogs will be on lease and when they'll be freed to do their security duty and also ensure that domestic workers and other residents that are in the building or have access to the building are well aware of such arrangements....include it in their contract self to be on the safe side.

Anyways, she should count herself lucky to be in a sane society where the law works....a certain country in west Africa would've cared less even if she lost her life due to negligence by the elites in the country....and it will be a miracle for her to get even a small compensation.

marlow1962:
Ex house keeper don make am.

Watch as Nigerians now go wn do house keeping job cun Dy secretly pray for dog attack so them fit cash out.

marlow1962:
Ex house keeper don make am.

Watch as Nigerians now go wn do house keeping job cun Dy secretly pray for dog attack so them fit cash out.

chicfarmer:
This is why you should show some humanity and don't underate people.

E sure me say if Chris brown had apologized to this woman, taken care of her hospital bills including cosmetic surgery; and then compensated her with say $200k, this woman fit no even go court in the first place.

But he probably felt that as a superstar when him be, nothing the woman fit do. Now he has to pay through his nose.

Mattswaggz:
Sometimes, I do wonder why people keep such dangerous dogs in the name of pet/security in a residential building/area.....if one must keep such dogs in the name of security(because I don't even see the sense in keeping them as pet), then they should have a spelt out and suitable routine as to when the dogs will be on lease and when they'll be freed to do their security duty and also ensure that domestic workers and other residents that are in the building or have access to the building are well aware of such arrangements....include it in their contract self to be on the safe side.

Anyways, she should count herself lucky to be in a sane society where the law works....a certain country in west Africa would've cared less even if she lost her life due to negligence by the elites in the country....and it will be a miracle for her to get even a small compensation.

Mattswaggz:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0myggx4y23o

AngelSlay:
This is one of the reasons strong institutions matter.

In many developed countries, it doesn't matter whether you're a global superstar or an ordinary citizen—if negligence causes serious harm, the courts can hold you financially accountable. The focus is on the victim getting justice and compensation.

Imagine if something similar happened in Nigeria. After years of court adjournments, influence, and endless delays, the victim might still be struggling to pay hospital bills while the case drags on. Many people don't even pursue such cases because they believe justice will take too long or may never come.

No legal system is perfect, but a system where victims can realistically seek compensation and powerful individuals can be held accountable strengthens public confidence in the rule of law.

The lesson isn't about Chris Brown—it's about the importance of building institutions where justice is accessible, timely, and not dependent on a person's wealth, fame, or connections.