Chris Brown’s Legal Issues and Controversies, Explained: A Complete Timeline of the Singer’s Multiple Domestic Disputes and Brawls

Chris Brown has experienced a number of controversies and legal issues throughout his career.

While the domestic violence incident in 2009 involving then-girlfriend Rihanna remains the most infamous of Brown’s legal troubles, he has been charged with a number of accusations over the years.

In July 2024, the singer’s legal issues continued with multiple new assault allegations. Four concertgoers alleged that Brown and members of his entourage assaulted them backstage after a show. The men filed a lawsuit against them and Live Nation for $50 million. Reps for Brown and Live Nation did not respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment at the time.

Later that same year, ID released a documentary titled Chris Brown: A History of Violence in which several women spoke about Brown’s alleged abuse, including Jane Doe who claimed that the “Loyal” singer raped her in 2020 on  Sean “Diddy” Combs’ yacht. His attorneys denied the claims.

On Jan. 21, Brown filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. for $500 million — claiming that the documentary falsely painted him as a “serial rapist” and “sexual abuser.”

Here is a complete history of Chris Brown’s legal troubles.

February 8, 2009: Chris Brown physically assaults then-girlfriend Rihanna

Brown and then-girlfriend Rihanna had an argument that escalated into physical violence on the part of Brown. Rihanna was left with visible facial injuries and was hospitalized; Brown was subsequently charged with felony assault and making criminal threats on March 5, 2009. He pleaded guilty to a felony on June 22 of that year and accepted a plea deal of community labor, five years’ probation and domestic violence counseling.

After completing the yearlong domestic violence course in 2010, Reuters reported that Brown wrote on X in a since-deleted post, “I have enough self respect and decency to be proud of accomplishing this DV class. Boyz run from [their] mistakes. Men learn from them!!!”

June 2010: Chris Brown is denied a visa to the U.K.

Brown was planning a short tour in the U.K. and Ireland but was subsequently denied a visa to the U.K. over the assault on Rihanna.

The U.K.’s Home Office said in a statement, as reported by the BBC, “We reserve the right to refuse entry to the UK to anyone guilty of a serious criminal offense. Public safety is one of our primary concerns. Each application to enter the UK is considered on its individual merits.”

March 22, 2011: Chris Brown allegedly has meltdown backstage

Following an interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, where Brown was asked about the incident with Rihanna, the singer allegedly blew up in his dressing room during a commercial break and threw a chair at a window overlooking Times Square. He confronted several members of the show’s production staff and exited the building shirtless.

June 14, 2012: Chris Brown is involved in a New York City nightclub brawl

Eight people were injured in a brawl in an N.Y.C. nightclub involving Brown, Drake, NBA star Tony Parker and various members of the trio’s entourage. Brown later made a diss record about Drake (a remix of Chief Keef’s “I Don’t Like”), and Brown’s attorney claimed that Drake was the instigator of the brawl, though the pair later appeared together in a comedic skit at the 2014 ESPY Awards, suggesting they made up.

Seven years after the incident, Brown and Drake parodied the brawl as a dance battle in the 2019 music video for Brown’s song “No Guidance,” featuring Drake.

October-November 2012: Chris Brown violates his restraining order

As reported by Billboard, Brown attended a Halloween party dressed as a terrorist. Rihanna was also present at the party, which was allegedly a violation of the restraining order taken out against Brown in the wake of the assault.

January 2013: Chris Brown clashes with Frank Ocean

Brown and his entourage clashed with fellow singer-songwriter Frank Ocean and his group outside a West Hollywood recording studio, reportedly over a parking space. One of Brown’s entourage reportedly used a homophobic slur against Ocean, and Brown allegedly punched Ocean and threatened to shoot him, according to an incident report TMZ obtained. However, Ocean declined to press charges.

July 2013: Chris Brown’s probation is revoked

Brown’s probation was revoked after his involvement in an alleged hit-and-run in L.A. Earlier in 2013, reports surfaced via the Los Angeles Times that questioned the validity of Brown’s community service — he appeared to be credited with having served time during periods in which he was out of the country. The hit-and-run charges were eventually dropped, but Brown was required to serve an additional 1,000 hours of community service.

October 27, 2013: Chris Brown is arrested for felony assault

Brown was charged with felony assault in Washington D.C., when he and his bodyguard, Christopher Hollosy, were involved in a “physical altercation” with two men outside of the W Hotel, according to police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump. Brown and Hollosy spent 36 hours in jail and appeared in court on Monday, Oct. 28, 2013.

According to CNN, the charges against Brown and his bodyguard were reduced to simple assault misdemeanors, and the two were released without bail. Brown was brought back to California to appear in court in L.A. and was ordered to stay at least 100 yards away from the man he was accused of assaulting in D.C.

October-November 2013: Chris Brown enters a rehab facility

Brown voluntarily entered a rehab facility, only to be kicked out for violent behavior on Nov. 14, 2013, according to the Los Angeles Times. Brown reportedly smashed his mother’s car window with a rock during a family session, per his probation officer. Six days later, Brown was sentenced to three months at a live-in anger management rehab facility.

February 2014: Chris Brown is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder

Brown was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder by doctors while in rehab. The facility believed his past behavior stemmed from his attempts to self-medicate his troubles. A judge ordered Brown to stay another two months in a Malibu, Calif., rehab, though doctors noted he was making great progress and becoming less impulsive.

March 14, 2014: Chris Brown is kicked out of Malibu treatment facility

Brown was kicked out of the Malibu treatment facility where a judge had ordered him to stay. He was sent to jail for violating the facility’s “internal rules,” as reported by TMZ.

The Los Angeles Country Sheriff’s confirmed to PEOPLE that Brown was arrested and said in a statement that the singer “was cooperative when taken into custody.”

On May 9, 2014, he was sentenced to 131 days in jail for probation violation, according to TIME.

June 2, 2014: Chris Brown is granted early release from jail

Los Angeles Times reported that Brown was released early from jail. However, he remained on probation and was ordered to complete his remaining community service and see a psychiatrist twice a week.

September 2, 2014: Chris Brown pleads guilty to assault

Brown pleaded guilty to the assault from the October 2013 incident in Washington, D.C. He admitted to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to time served. Brown spent two days in a District of Columbia jail.

“I would like to say to the court that I’m sorry,” Brown said during the hearing, though he didn’t provide further comment as he left court.

January 15, 2015: Chris Brown’s probation is revoked

Brown’s probation was revoked when a judge learned he had traveled outside Los Angeles County without prior consent for a private performance at a nightclub in San Jose, Calif. An altercation during the performance escalated into gunfire, and five people were shot.

February 24, 2015: Chris Brown says he is banned from entering Canada

Brown confirmed that he was denied entry into Canada based on his criminal history just hours before he was set to perform in the first of two performances in Toronto.

“The good people of the Canadian government wouldn’t allow me entry,” Brown wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “I’ll be back this summer and will hopefully see all my Canadian fans!”

Live Nation issued a statement, saying the “New Flame” singer’s ban was due to “immigration issues.”

May 5, 2015: Chris Brown allegedly hits a man in Las Vegas

Brown was briefly named in a misdemeanor battery case in Las Vegas, where a man alleged the singer hit him after an argument over a basketball game at the Palms Casino Resort. However, the man declined to press charges.

Brown, however, denied any involvement in the incident, with his publicist, Nicole Perna, telling CNN in a statement, Chris “was not in an altercation with” the “unruly individual” who “showed up uninvited and was removed from the premises.”

July 24, 2015: Chris Brown is detained in the Philippines

Brown was allowed to leave the Philippines after being detained for several days following a fraud investigation over his cancellation of a New Year’s Eve concert in 2014. The organizers alleged that Brown had canceled the show after he received the $1 million to perform.

“I’ve done nothing wrong,” Brown wrote in a post on X, per CBS, claiming that he returned to the country to do a show to make up for the canceled concert.

Elaine Tan, a spokeswoman of the Immigration Bureau, told the Associated Press, as reported by NBC News, that Brown was cleared after “verifying that Chris Brown has no other derogatory record apart from the [immigration lookout bulletin]” that had been issued.

December 2015: Chris Brown cancels his tour

Brown canceled his tour of Australia and New Zealand a week before the first show. In late September 2015, Australia’s immigration minister, Peter Dutton, warned Brown his visa would be denied, based on his criminal history, if he could not show just cause to the contrary.

January 2, 2016: Chris Brown is investigated by police

Brown was investigated by police in Las Vegas after a woman alleged he beat her and stole her cell phone during a party at the Palms Casino Resort.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Brown’s rep called the victim’s statements to police “unequivocally untrue” and that the victim was escorted out of the hotel by security because of her “wild behavior” while allegedly having a “total meltdown.”

June 2016: Chris Brown is sued by his ex-manager

In June 2016, Michael Guirguis (a.k.a. Mike G), the manager Brown hired to help him rehabilitate his image after he assaulted Rihanna, filed a lawsuit against Brown, claiming the singer had “brutally” attacked him on May 10, per USA Today.

According to The Blast, the matter was settled out of court in 2019 after several years of litigation.

August 2016: Chris Brown is arrested on suspicion of assault

Brown was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon following a nine-hour standoff with police at his L.A. mansion after a woman called 911 claiming he had allegedly threatened her with a gun, according to the Los Angeles Times. Charges were never filed.

April 2017: Chris Brown allegedly punches photographer

Tampa police said Brown allegedly “sucker punched” a 28-year-old club photographer during a paid appearance at AJA Channelside. The alleged victim claimed that Brown attacked him because he was taking photos after Brown arrived at the venue for an after-party “showing,” police said. Brown was not arrested or charged at the time.

In July 2018, Brown was charged with felony battery after a performance in West Palm Beach, Fla., for the April 2017 incident in Tampa. However, the Tampa Bay Times reported that the charge was dropped in August 2019 because of “insufficient evidence to prosecute.”

June 2017: Chris Brown is ordered to stay away from ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran

PEOPLE confirmed that a judge granted Brown’s ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran a restraining order against the singer for five years. The model alleged in court that Brown texted her violent threats, such as, “I can get my money back and I’m tired of playing games,” along with, “B—- I will beat the s— out of you” and “I promise you I will make your life hell.”

Tran also alleged Brown punched her in the stomach twice and pushed her down the stairs several years ago while he was on probation for his assault against Rihanna. However, no police report was filed at the time.

After a tumultuous on-and-off-again relationship, Tran and Brown officially split in late 2014.

May 2018: Chris Brown is sued by unidentified woman for alleged sexual assault

An unidentified woman sued Brown and two others after she was allegedly held down and sexually assaulted in the singer’s home during a party on Feb. 23, 2017.

The woman — identified only as Jane Doe in court documents obtained by The Blast — claimed the group used “drugs, alcohol, threats and the presence of guns to intimidate, coerce and force unwilling female guests to perform sexual acts.”

She sued the trio for sexual battery, battery and assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Brown’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, denied the allegations to TMZ.

“In another era, we might have called this a shakedown,” Geragos said of the lawsuit. “None of these allegations are true. Nobody has done anything with this … there’s no case here. Chris is a target.”

In April 2020, the lawsuit was dismissed and settled out of court.

December 2018: Chris Brown is charged with possession of a restricted species

Brown was charged with two criminal counts of having a restricted species — in this case, a capuchin monkey — without a permit. Each count carried a maximum sentence of six months in prison, TMZ reported.

Patrick Foy, captain with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told PEOPLE they obtained a search warrant earlier in 2018 and visited Brown’s home in January 2019. The singer wasn’t home at the time, but others there relinquished the monkey. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife filed their evidence with the L.A. City Attorney, who then filed charges.

According to the Associated Press, prosecutors later dropped charges against Brown for possessing the monkey without a permit after the artist agreed to forfeit his rights to Fiji and pay $35,000 for the monkey’s care.

In June 2022, the Florida-based owner of the exotic animal breeding business who allegedly sold the monkey to Brown was sentenced to five years probation. Monkey breeder Jimmy Hammonds was ordered to pay a $90,000 fine to a fund operated by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and to serve eight months of his probation in home confinement.

January 2019: Chris Brown is detained in Paris

PEOPLE confirmed that Brown was detained in Paris on potential charges of aggravated rape and drug infractions after a woman filed a complaint with police.

“We confirm the detention in custody of Mr. Chris Brown and two other individuals on charges of aggravated rape and narcotics offenses. Police custody is still in progress,” the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office told PEOPLE in a statement at the time.

Brown denied the accusations. The probe was later dropped, and Brown filed a defamation suit against the woman.

June 18, 2021: Chris Brown is accused of striking women at his home

On June 18, 2021, L.A. police responded to a call from a woman at Brown’s home claiming that a male suspect struck her in the back of the head. Brown was no longer at home when police arrived, but the officers recorded a crime report.

January 27, 2022: Chris Brown is sued by woman claiming he raped and drugged her in Miami

A woman identified as “Jane Doe” filed a $20 million lawsuit against Brown on Jan. 27, 2022, alleging that he drugged and raped her on Dec. 30, 2020, on a yacht in Miami. The woman also detailed two subsequent alleged encounters with Brown, including an instance in August 2021 when, she claimed, Brown became “irate” because she would not respond to his alleged sexual advances.

While not directly addressing the claims, the day following the lawsuit, Brown shared a message on his Instagram Stories saying, “Whenever I’m releasing music or projects, ‘THEY’ try to pull some real bulls—.”

Radar Online reported in March 2022 that the accuser’s lawyers dropped her case after Miami Beach police shared months of text messages between Brown and Doe. There were messages in which Doe repeatedly asked Brown if she could see him again after the alleged rape.

In August 2022, a judge dismissed the case, per NBC Palm Springs.

February 2023: Chris Brown is sued for allegedly beating up man at London nightclub

A man named Abe Diaw filed a lawsuit against Brown in February 2023, alleging the “Under the Influence” singer hit him in the face with a bottle of Don Julio 1942 tequila while at London nightclub TAPE.

Diaw accused Brown of “beating” him on the head with “crushing blows” that left him unconscious before he “continued to ruthlessly stomp” on him for “30 seconds,” per the lawsuit. The man ended up hospitalized with “lacerations on his head” and “torn ligaments in his leg,” the lawsuit claimed.

At the time, Diaw was suing Brown for damages and demanding a trial by jury.

Seeking $16 million, Diaw’s case has not yet been settled but is still moving forward despite Brown’s tour promoter filing a motion to strike part of Diaw’s allegations, Radar Online reported. The motion was denied in April 2024.

February 27, 2024: Chris Brown is ordered to fulfill payments on more than $2 million unpaid bank loan

In 2018, Brown and fellow investors took out a loan from City National Bank (CNB) to open two Popeyes Chicken franchises. In September 2023, the institution sued them for allegedly defaulting on the loan, claiming the musician and his investors owed $2,140,901.74 in unpaid principal and interest.

On Feb. 27, 2024, a sister-state judgment was confirmed by a court in California that ordered Brown to pay $1,314,367.40 personally.

As of March 2024, Brown did not pay off the loan and was subject to have his assets seized by the state. His reps did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment at the time.

July 21, 2024: Chris Brown is sued for $50 million for allegedly assaulting 4 concertgoers

On July 21, 2024, a lawsuit was filed against Brown for $50 million dollars for the alleged “brutal, violent assault” of four men backstage following a show in Fort Worth, Texas. Several members of the singer’s entourage and Brown’s 11:11 tour promoter, Live Nation, are also being sued.

The men accused Brown and his entourage of throwing chairs at them, and repeatedly kicking, stomping, and beating them,” the complaint stated.

Additionally, Frederick R. Overpeck, a staff member and head of back security at Dickies Arena, is suing Brown and his entourage for $15 million, claiming he was injured and now can’t work after helping the four men who had allegedly been assaulted.

Reps for Brown, Live Nation, and the other men named in the lawsuits did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

October 27, 2024: Woman accuses Chris Brown of raping her on Diddy’s yacht

In the documentary Chris Brown: A History of Violence, an anonymous woman, who went by the name Jane Doe, claimed that the singer raped her in 2020. She explained that the alleged incident took place on Diddy’s yacht in Miami.

“[Brown] had handed me a drink. I’m not even sure … this is when my memory starts getting a little bit weird,” Doe claimed. “I don’t remember if I saw him pour it, but I just drank it and he just hands me another drink. As I’m standing there, I did start to feel tired and my body was feeling a little heavy.”

She went on to allege that Brown took her to a bedroom and forced her to have sex. Brown’s attorneys said Doe’s claims were completely fabricated.

Doe said a legal team had reached out to her to help her build a case, but a judge ultimately dismissed it in 2022, citing a “lack of prosecution,” according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

January 21, 2025: Chris Brown sues Warner Bros. for $500 million over documentary

Brown filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros., Ample and the documentary’s producers for $500 million, alleging he was falsely labeled as a “serial rapist” and “sexual abuser” in ID’s Chris Brown: A History of Violence.

The singer’s attorneys claimed that the doc is “full of lies and deception” and that Brown “has grown” since the incident with Rihanna in 2009.

In his complaints, Brown also denied Jane Doe’s rape claims and alleged that she has a history of “partner violence.” Brown’s lawsuit included alleged screenshots of a restraining order Doe’s boyfriend allegedly filed in 2021.