Singer Chris Brown has been ordered to pay nearly $13 million in damages after a California jury found him liable in a negligence lawsuit brought by a former housekeeper who was attacked by a dog at his home.
The lawsuit stemmed from a 2020 incident in which Maria Avila said she was mauled by Hades, a 200-pound Caucasian shepherd, while taking out the trash at Brown’s Tarzana property. The jury awarded Avila $12.9 million in damages after she said the attack left her with permanent facial disfigurement, vision loss, nerve damage and lasting scars. Her sister, Patricia Avila, was awarded $885,000 for emotional distress, while Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, received $50,000.
Before the trial, Brown accepted partial responsibility for negligence but disputed the severity of Avila’s injuries and argued that she bore some responsibility for the incident. During his testimony, the singer told jurors he had warned workers that the dogs on the property were not friendly and should not be approached without security personnel present. He also maintained that Hades belonged to his security team rather than being his personal pet.
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The verdict comes as Brown continues his co-headlining The R&B Tour with Usher. Lawyers representing the Avila family welcomed the ruling, describing it as justice after years of legal proceedings that began with the filing of the lawsuit in 2021.
