Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty in London Nightclub Assault Case

Chris Brown appeared in a London courtroom on Friday to plead not guilty to a serious assault charge connected to an incident at a nightclub two years ago.

According to the BBC, Brown is denying a charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to music producer Abraham Diaw. The charge is related to an alleged attack involving a bottle at a Mayfair club in February 2023.

Before Friday’s hearing, two additional charges were added: assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon. The judge postponed arraignment on those until July 11. Brown’s trial is currently scheduled to begin on October 26, 2026.

According to the report, Brown is facing the main assault charge along with Omolulu Akinlolu, who performs as HoodyBaby. Akinlolu also pleaded not guilty.

The singer is on tour in the U.K. and appeared at Southwark Crown Court just hours after performing in Cardiff, Wales. He had been arrested in Manchester last month when he arrived for his tour and spent nearly a week in custody. He was released after paying a £5 million ($6.4 million) bond to guarantee he would return for court.

Brown also agreed to live at a U.K. address while waiting for trial and handed over his passport to police. However, he is still allowed to travel outside the U.K. for concerts that were already scheduled.

During his Manchester concert last Sunday, Brown briefly mentioned his arrest, telling the crowd: “Thank you to the jail. It was really nice.”