Chris Brown has been ordered to pay nearly $13 million after losing a dog attack lawsuit filed by his former housekeeper. A California jury delivered the verdict on Tuesday, June 30. The case was linked to a 2020 incident at the singer’s home in Tarzana, California. Maria Avila was badly attacked by Hades, a 200-pound Caucasian shepherd, while taking out the trash.
The jury ruled that Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, were negligent. Maria Avila was awarded $12.9 million in damages. Her sister, Patricia Avila, received $885,000 for emotional distress. Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, was also awarded $50,000. Reacting to the verdict, attorney Michael C. Murphy Jr. said,
“After more than five years of litigating against Chris Brown, we are thrilled that we were able to get justice for our client. We are so happy for her and her family after everything they went through on that horrible day.”
During the trial, Brown argued that Hades was a security dog, not his personal pet. He also claimed he had warned the sisters not to go outside without security. However, both women denied that conversation ever happened. They said language differences would have made such a discussion difficult.
Another key issue raised in court was Brown’s reaction after the attack. Testimony claimed he left the scene instead of helping the injured housekeeper. Brown said he avoided calling 911 because he feared a “media circus.” Meanwhile, the verdict comes just days after he kicked off his co-headlining U.S. stadium tour with Usher.
