Tour on Hold: Chris Brown Faces UK Assault Charge
American R&B singer Chris Brown has been arrested and charged with assault in the UK, just weeks before his European tour is set to begin. The 36-year-old artist was taken into custody early Thursday at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester and is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
The charge is linked to an alleged assault that took place in February 2023 at Tape nightclub in Hanover Square, an upscale area in London’s Mayfair district. Police say he is accused of attacking music producer Abe Diaw with a bottle. At the time of the incident, Chris Brown was touring in the UK.
According to reports, Chris Brown flew into Manchester on Wednesday by private jet. He will appear before a judge in Manchester on Friday, and a follow-up hearing is set for June 13 at Southwark Crown Court in London, the same day he is scheduled to perform in Germany. His sold-out shows in the Netherlands and Germany now hang in the balance.
This latest incident adds to Brown’s long history of legal troubles. He first made headlines in 2009 when he was convicted of assaulting pop star Rihanna, his then-girlfriend.
In 2012, he was involved in a nightclub brawl with rapper Drake’s entourage, which left basketball star Tony Parker injured. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to assaulting a fan in Washington. In 2016, he was arrested after a woman claimed he pointed a gun at her. He has also faced accusations in Paris and Las Vegas, though some cases did not lead to charges.
Despite his troubled past, Brown has continued to enjoy success in music and two Grammy Awards to his name. His upcoming tour was set to take him across the UK and Europe through June and July before heading back to the United States.
For now, Chris Brown remains in custody in the UK as the legal process unfolds. More updates are expected as the court dates approach and questions around his tour continue to grow.