Appearing before a court in London on Friday, Grammy-winning R&B artist Chris Brown pleaded not guilty to claims that he assaulted a man at a nightclub in the city. Judge Tony Baumgartner announced that Mr. Brown’s trial will begin in October next year and is expected to last between five and seven days.
The charge being addressed is one of grievous bodily harm with intent. Mr. Brown had previously appeared in court in June, where he posted bail of 5 million pounds, which is approximately $6.7 million.
That payment allowed him to leave the United Kingdom and continue his global tour, which includes shows across North America. During Friday’s court session, prosecutors did not ask for any changes to be made to the existing bail terms.
Inside the courtroom, Mr. Brown was seated behind plexiglass, dressed in a blue suit and glasses, while a court representative gave a detailed account of a February 2023 incident.
In that report, he was accused of using a tequila bottle to strike music producer Abraham Diaw at a nightclub in London. Mr. Brown then entered a plea of not guilty.
Legal Defense and Pending Charges
Also denying the accusation was Omololu Akinlolu, a 38-year-old American rapper known as HoodyBaby, who works with Mr. Brown as his vocal coach.
Mr. Brown’s legal representatives asked for additional time before he enters pleas on two other pending charges: one for assault causing actual bodily harm, and another for possessing an offensive weapon.
His lawyer, Sallie Bennett-Jenkins, explained that the delay was necessary so she could review new material the prosecution had only recently supplied. Judge Baumgartner said the court would meet again on July 11 to handle those remaining pleas.
According to British law, media outlets are not allowed to publish any information that might influence the opinion of a jury before a trial takes place.
After the short 28-minute court hearing, Mr. Brown left the room and acknowledged around twenty people sitting in the public gallery by waving at them. Some in the crowd responded by shouting, “Love you, Chris!”
European Tour and Fan Reaction
His appearance in court happened while he was still performing across Europe as part of his world tour. During a recent concert in Manchester, Mr. Brown spoke directly to the crowd, thanking not only his supporters but also the local jail where he was held after being arrested in June. “It was really nice,” he said, as quoted by the BBC.
Since dropping his first single in 2005, Mr. Brown has become one of the most recognizable names in R&B, achieving 17 songs on the Billboard top 10 chart. His latest entry on that list was “Go Crazy” in 2020.
