Chris Brown enters not guilty plea over alleged bottle attack at London club

Chris Brown, the American singer and actor, has entered a not guilty plea regarding allegations of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm during an incident at a London nightclub. The accusations stem from an event that took place on February 19, 2023, at the Tape club in Hanover Square, Mayfair, where Brown is alleged to have attacked Abraham Diaw with a bottle. During a plea and trial preparation hearing held at Southwark crown court, Brown's co-defendant, Omololu Akinlolu, also denied the same charge of grievous bodily harm. In addition to this charge, both defendants face accusations of assaulting Diaw, resulting in actual bodily harm, and Brown is specifically charged with possessing an offensive weapon in a public space—a bottle, in this case. The court did not require them to enter pleas for these additional charges, and a future court date has been set for July 11, with a trial expected to commence on October 26, 2026, anticipated to last five to seven days.

Upon arriving at the court, Brown was met by a significant number of photographers, and he walked silently past them into the building. Inside the courtroom, approximately 20 individuals, many of whom were fans, occupied the public gallery in support of the singer. Brown's legal troubles began shortly after he arrived in the UK for his Breezy Bowl XX tour, where he was arrested at the Lowry hotel in Salford, Greater Manchester, in the early hours of May 15. Following his arrest, Brown was released on conditional bail after posting a £5 million security fee, allowing him to continue with his international tour. He performed in Cardiff and is scheduled to appear in London for two nights before moving on to Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, and additional dates in Ireland and across Europe.