Chris Brown ordered to pay $12.9 million to his former housekeeper following a dog attack
During the trial, which lasted two weeks, María Ávila testified that she was attacked by Hades, a Caucasian Shepherd weighing about 200 pounds owned by the artist, while she was taking out the trash from his home.
American rapper Chris Brown
American singer Chris Brown was found liable by a jury in Los Angeles in a civil lawsuit stemming from an attack by one of his dogs on his former housekeeper, María Ávila, which occurred in December 2020 at his residence in Tarzana, California. As a result, Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, must pay $12.9 million in damages for negligence, according to Billboard.
An attack that left permanent scars
During the trial, which lasted two weeks, María Ávila testified that she was attacked by Hades, a Caucasian Shepherd weighing about 200 pounds owned by the artist, while she was taking out the trash from his home.
The victim testified that the animal tore off large patches of her skin, causing permanent facial disfigurement, scarring, partial vision loss, nerve damage and significant limitation of mobility in her left arm, which had to be reconstructed using skin grafts taken from her abdomen.
According to the report by BBC News, Ávila also stated that the trauma she suffered prevents her from returning to work as a domestic worker and that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, which makes it difficult for her to be around dogs.
The singer’s defense
Brown argued during the trial that the dog was used for security purposes and not as a personal pet. He also claimed to have previously warned the employees that the animals were not friendly and that they should only go outside when security personnel were present.
However, both María Ávila and her sister Patricia denied having received that warning and asserted that the language barrier made it unlikely that such a conversation had taken place, according to BBC News.
The reaction after the attack
For his part, Brown testified that he found Ávila motionless and covered in blood after hearing the dog growl, and claimed that he left the residence on the advice of his team because he was in a state of shock, according to BBC News.
Other compensations
In addition to the main compensation for María Ávila, the jury awarded $885,000 to her sister Patricia, who was also working in the home when the attack occurred. Likewise, the victim’s husband, Óscar Olivo, received a compensation of $50,000, as reported by Billboard.
Patricia Ávila’s attorney, Michael C. Murphy, welcomed the ruling and told Billboard that, after more than five years of litigation, his client and her family had finally obtained justice for what had happened.
A new legal front
This civil ruling adds to the legal troubles facing Chris Brown. The singer is scheduled to appear in October before a UK court regarding the alleged bottle attack on a music producer at a London nightclub in 2023. The news was initially reported by Reuters and later picked up by BBC News.
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