An American jury has found singer Chris Brown liable for negligence in a civil lawsuit arising from a 2020 dog attack that seriously injured his former housekeeper, Maria Avila.
Following a two-week trial in Los Angeles, the jury ordered Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, to pay 12.9 million dollars in damages.
According to court proceedings, Avila was attacked by a 200-pound Caucasian Shepherd while working at Brown’s home in Tarzana, California.
She told the court the attack left her with permanent facial disfigurement, scarring, vision loss, nerve damage, and psychological trauma, adding that she has undergone multiple surgeries and is no longer able to work as a housekeeper.
During the trial, Brown argued that the dog was kept for security purposes and claimed workers had been warned not to go outside without security personnel because the animals were not friendly.
However, Avila and another witness denied receiving any such warning.
The court also heard testimony that Brown left the property after the attack instead of contacting emergency services, explaining that he acted on the advice of his manager, who was concerned about media attention.
While Brown accepted some responsibility for the incident, he disputed the extent of Avila’s injuries and argued that she shared some responsibility for the attack.
In addition to the award to Maria Avila, the jury granted 885,000 dollars in damages to Patricia Avila and 50,000 dollars to Maria Avila’s husband, Oscar Olivo.
Brown’s representatives had not publicly commented on the verdict at the time of reporting.
