Chris Brown enters a not guilty plea in a UK court to a reduced assault charge
US singer Chris Brown has entered a not guilty plea in a UK court following the reduction of his assault charge to a lesser offence.
Chris Brown, the US singer, has entered a not guilty plea regarding charges related to an alleged nightclub incident in London that occurred two years prior. The 36-year-old artist faces allegations of assaulting music producer Abraham Diaw with a bottle, resulting in actual bodily harm during what prosecutors characterized as a “unprovoked attack” in 2023.
Brown previously refuted a more severe accusation of trying to cause grievous bodily harm. At Southwark Crown Court on Friday, he stated his name and pleaded not guilty to both charges of causing actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.
Omololu Akinlolu, 38, who is co-defendant with Brown, also entered a not guilty plea to the charge of causing actual bodily harm, having previously denied the allegation of attempted grievous bodily harm.
The trial for both individuals is set to begin on 26 October 2026.
At Friday’s brief hearing, approximately 20 supporters assembled in the public gallery, with two calling out “we love you, Chris” as the R&B star left the courtroom.
Brown, a two-time Grammy Award winner recognized for hits such as Loyal, Run It, and Under the Influence, was granted bail in May after posting a £5 million ($6.7 million) security fee to proceed with his “Breezy Bowl XX” tour.
He was taken into custody at a hotel in Manchester upon his return to the UK for the first time since the alleged assault.
