Chris Brown pleads guilty over 2023 London nightclub attack as he faces sentencing in October
Chris Brown pleads guilty to the 2023 London nightclub attackThe 37-year-old American singer entered his guilty plea at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, where the hearing lasted less than five minutes. His vocal coach and co-defendant, Omololu Akinlolu, who performs under the name HoodyBaby, also pleaded guilty to affray. Both men are due to be sentenced on 26 October.The case relates to an incident at Tape nightclub in Hanover Square, Mayfair, in the early hours of February 19, 2023. Prosecutors said Brown approached music producer Abraham Diaw on the dancefloor before striking him twice over the head with a glass bottle. Akinlolu then joined the attack, according to the Crown Prosecution Service. The victim was also kicked as he attempted to escape through the crowded venue.Diaw was taken to St Mary's Hospital with injuries to his head and knee. The prosecution described the incident as a “vicious and unprovoked attack” and said the glass bottle had been used as a weapon. Claire Campbell, senior crown prosecutor for CPS London South, said, “This kind of violence is entirely unacceptable, and the Crown Prosecution Service will work tirelessly - with the police and partners across the criminal justice system - to pursue cases like this and prove that no one is above the law.”Brown had previously denied charges including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon — identified in the case as a bottle — in a public place. Those charges were discontinued after he pleaded guilty to affray. Akinlolu had also previously denied an assault charge before entering the guilty plea to affray.Under English law, affray involves the use or threat of unlawful violence in circumstances that would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for their personal safety. The offence can carry a maximum prison sentence of three years.The guilty plea follows a lengthy legal process that began more than two years after the nightclub incident. Brown and Akinlolu had left the UK following the attack, and arrest warrants were subsequently issued. Brown was arrested in Manchester on 15 May 2025, after returning to Britain for a concert as part of his world tour.At earlier hearings, Brown was ordered to provide a £5 million security payment as part of his bail arrangements. The conditions allowed him to continue his international tour, provided he surrendered his passport upon arrival in each country. He was granted bail again after Friday's hearing and must return to the UK ahead of his sentencing date.The singer's court appearance drew a small group of supporters outside Southwark Crown Court. Fans held signs backing Brown, with one person shouting, “I love you Chris” as he walked past. Brown has also previously addressed supporters during his tour, saying: “Thank you for coming and supporting me,” before adding, “And thank you to the jail,” in reference to his time in custody. “It was really nice.”Brown's guilty plea adds to a long history of legal problems that have followed his career. In 2009, he pleaded guilty in the United States to felony assault involving his then-girlfriend, Rihanna. He later served time in a Los Angeles jail after violating probation linked to that case.Despite those legal controversies, Brown has remained a commercially successful recording artist and performer. He rose to international prominence in the mid-2000s and has won two Grammy Awards during a career spanning more than two decades.The London case had initially threatened to disrupt Brown's touring schedule. Following his arrest in 2025, his bail conditions and the requirement to provide significant financial security became a central part of the proceedings as he sought permission to continue his internationa
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