Chris Brown is taking legal action against Warner Bros and production company Ample over the release of a documentary that included accusations of sexual assault against him.
The film, Chris Brown: A History of Violence, premiered in October 2024 and featured an anonymous dancer’s claim that Brown raped her on a yacht in 2020. In response, Brown’s legal team argues the documentary is defamatory, stating that the allegations are baseless, sensationalized, and reckless in damaging his reputation.
Brown’s lawyers have filed a $500 million lawsuit in Los Angeles, alleging that despite their efforts to alert the producers to the misleading nature of the allegations, Warner Bros moved forward with the release of the film, prioritizing profits over journalistic integrity.
The lawsuit also names the production company Ample. Neither Warner Bros nor Ample have responded to BBC Newsbeat’s request for comment.
This legal action follows a previous lawsuit filed by the same dancer, known as Jane Doe, in 2022, where she accused Brown of drugging and raping her during a yacht party at a Miami property owned by Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. However, that case was reportedly dismissed by a judge.
The documentary also revisits other allegations against the singer, including an assault on a woman in 2021, a rape investigation in Paris in 2019 (which resulted in no charges), and his 2009 guilty plea for assaulting his then-girlfriend, Rihanna.
Brown’s attorneys maintain that he has never been found guilty of any sexual crimes. They emphasize that these allegations undermine his efforts to rebuild his life and tarnish the credibility of real survivors of violence. Brown has stated that a portion of any damages he receives will be donated to support survivors of sexual violence.
