Singer Chris Brown has been ordered to pay nearly USD 13 million in damages after a jury found him liable for ‘negligence’ in a lawsuit over a dog attack that left one of his housekeepers permanently disfigured.
Chris Brown found liable in dog attack case
According to reports, a jury on June 30 ruled that Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, must pay USD 12.9 million in damages to housekeeper Maria Avila, who was mauled by the singer’s 200-pound Caucasian shepherd while working at his California, home.Michael C. Murphy Jr. , an attorney representing Maria’s sister, Patricia Avila, confirmed the verdict.As reported by Billboard, Patricia, who was working with her sister at the time of the incident, was separately awarded USD 885,000 for emotional distress. Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, was also awarded USD 50,000.
Housekeeper opens up about dog attack
As per the report, the housekeeper, Maria was emptying rubbish outside Brown’s residence with the dog reportedly attacked her without warning. She claimed that the dog tore off “large chunks of her skin,” leaving her with permanent facial disfigurement, scarring, vision loss and nerve damage.Maria filed a lawsuit against Brown in 2021, and the case went to trial in June 2026.
Chris Brown claims he ‘warned’ housekeeper about dogs
Ahead of the two-week trial, Brown admitted partial liability for negligence but disputed the severity of Maria’s injuries and argued that she bore some responsibility for the incident.Testifying on June 18, Brown said he had personally warned both Maria and Patricia that the dogs on the property were “absolutely not” friendly. He shared that the dog had been purchased to guard the property and help protect the house from break-ins. “I get a lot of stalker-type situations,” he told the jury.
Lawyers react to verdict
Following the verdict, attorney Michael C. Murphy Jr said, “we are thrilled that we were able to get justice for our client, Patricia. We are so happy for her and her family after everything they went through on that horrible day. It was an honour to represent her.”