Singer Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm following an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub last year.
The 36-year-old American performer appeared at Southwark Crown Court in the UK on Friday, where he denied a charge of attempting to unlawfully and maliciously cause grievous bodily harm with intent to a man named Abraham Diaw. The incident is alleged to have taken place at Tape nightclub in Hanover Square, Mayfair, on 19 February 2023.
Mr Brown's co-defendant, Omololu Akinlolu, also pleaded not guilty to the same charge during the plea and trial preparation hearing. Both men are US nationals.
They are also facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Mr Diaw. Mr Brown alone is additionally charged with possession of an offensive weapon, a bottle, in a public place. Pleas were not entered on those further charges.
A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for 11 July, with a five to seven-day trial set to begin on 26 October 2026.
Mr Brown arrived at court around 9am, walking in silence past a crowd of photographers. Around 20 people, including fans of the singer, were present in the public gallery during the hearing.
The Go Crazy singer is currently on an international tour and performed in Cardiff the night before his court appearance. He remains on conditional bail after paying a £5 million security to the court, a sum held as a guarantee that may be forfeited if he fails to comply with bail conditions.
Mr Brown has not commented publicly on the charges.
Source: Press Association
