Jury Finds Chris Brown Liable for Negligence
US singer Chris Brown has been found responsible for a dog attack that severely injured his housekeeper, Maria Avila, at his California home in 2020. After a two-week trial in Los Angeles, a jury ruled in favor of Ms. Avila, who sustained significant injuries from an attack by a Caucasian shepherd owned by Brown.
Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, are now mandated to pay Ms. Avila $12.9 million for negligence, as reported by Billboard. Representatives for Brown have been contacted for comment.
Details of the Attack and Injuries
Ms. Avila testified that the dog, named Hades, tore off "large chunks of her skin," resulting in lasting facial disfigurement, scarring, vision impairment, and nerve damage. Brown had maintained that the dog was for security purposes and not a personal pet.
During the proceedings, testimony indicated that Brown reportedly left the scene after the incident, rather than contacting emergency services or assisting Ms. Avila directly. According to Rolling Stone, he left his employees to tend to her, expressing concerns about a potential "media circus" if his voice was on the 911 call or if he was present when authorities arrived.
Brown's Account and Defense
Brown stated he was preparing to shower when he heard the dog growling. Upon investigating, he discovered Ms. Avila motionless and covered in a significant amount of blood. He described feeling "freaked out" by the blood and "in shock," leading him to follow his manager's advice to depart before emergency services arrived.
While Brown acknowledged some responsibility prior to the trial, he contested the severity of Ms. Avila's injuries and argued that she bore some blame for the incident. The singer claimed he had cautioned Ms. Avila and her sister, Patricia, who was also working at the time, that the dogs were "absolutely not" friendly and that they should only go outside with security present. Both housekeepers denied this conversation, citing a language barrier that would have made such a discussion improbable.
Brown asserted that the dog was acquired and cared for by his security team to protect his residence from potential intruders, telling the jury, "I get a lot of stalker-type situations."
Long-Term Impact on Maria Avila
Speaking through an interpreter, Ms. Avila detailed the severe scarring on her face and left arm, along with limited mobility, following skin grafts from her abdomen to repair her arm. Rolling Stone reported that she displayed a "pattern of scars running from beneath her left eye up across her forehead" and "raised and pitted skin" on her forearm to the jury. She testified that she has been unable to return to her work as a housekeeper due to reduced arm strength and post-traumatic stress that prevents her from being around dogs.
In related awards, Patricia, Ms. Avila's sister, was granted an additional $885,000, and Ms. Avila's husband, Oscar Olivo, received $50,000, as confirmed by Patricia's lawyer, Michael C. Murphy, to 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," Murphy stated. "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 issued comments.
Brown is currently touring in the US with R&B singer Usher. He is also slated to appear in court in the UK in October regarding an alleged assault on a music producer in a nightclub in 2023, for which he was granted bail in January.
Source: Original Article
