Chris Brown Ordered to Pay $13 Million to Housekeeper After Gruesome Dog Attack

A Los Angeles jury has delivered a massive $13 million verdict against singer Chris Brown, holding him liable for a devastating 2020 dog attack that left his housekeeper severely disfigured. Following a grueling two-week trial, the decision was handed down on Tuesday, delivering a strong legal victory for the victim, Maria Avila.

The horrific incident occurred when Avila was simply emptying the trash outside of the musician’s residence in Tarzana, California. Without warning, she was viciously mauled by Brown’s 200-pound Caucasian shepherd, a massive dog named Hades.

According to initial reports of the verdict by Billboard, the immense financial burden falls squarely on Chris Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC. Michael C. Murphy Jr., the attorney representing the Avila family, confirmed that the jury awarded Maria Avila $12.9 million for negligence relating to her severe physical injuries and permanent disfigurement.

The financial penalties, however, extend beyond Maria's direct compensation for the mauling. The jury also awarded $885,000 to her sister, Patricia Avila, who was working at the home during the time of the attack and suffered profound emotional distress from witnessing the aftermath. Furthermore, Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, was separately granted $50,000 as part of the ruling.

Speaking on the legal victory, attorney Murphy expressed his immense satisfaction with the outcome. "After more than five years of litigating against Chris Brown, we are thrilled that we were able to get justice for our client," he stated. "We are so happy for her and her family after everything they went through on that horrible day. It was an honor to represent her."

During the court proceedings, Brown’s defense team argued that the 200-pound animal was strictly utilized for security purposes and was never kept as a personal family pet. Nevertheless, the jury was presented with damning testimony regarding the singer's behavior immediately following the bloody attack.

Instead of personally calling 911 or administering aid to his severely injured housekeeper, testimony revealed that Brown fled the gruesome scene. The singer reportedly drove around for hours, delegating emergency response and medical care duties to his other staff members. His reasoning, according to the trial details, was a fear that a "media circus" would ensue if his voice was recognized by emergency dispatchers on a 911 call, or if he was present on the property when law enforcement eventually arrived.

While Brown did admit to some level of culpability prior to the start of the trial, he testified under oath that he had explicitly warned both Maria and Patricia Avila about the dangerous dogs living on the property. According to his testimony, he had previously instructed the housekeepers to only venture outside when directly accompanied by his security personnel.

The multimillion-dollar verdict was finalized just four days after the R&B star kicked off a highly publicized co-headlining stadium tour alongside fellow artist Usher. The ongoing summer tour is slated to travel to major venues across the United States, which includes two massive upcoming performance dates at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles this September.