Chris Brown files lawsuit against Warner Bros Discovery over documentary’s sexual assault claims
“To be clear, Mr Brown has never been found at fault for any type of sexual crime.”
The documentary was released by the WBD-owned TV network Investigation Discovery as part of its third annual No Excuse for Abuse campaign in October, which also marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The 1 hour 22 minute-long project is summarised on IMDb as a biographical film that “delves into the controversial personal life of Chris Brown, an iconic singer, while exploring allegations of domestic violence, assault charges and sexual misconduct.”
An alleged victim of Brown, identified as Jane Doe, was interviewed in the documentary about her purported experiences with the singer, who in February 2009 made global headlines for assaulting then-girlfriend and pop icon Rihanna.
In 2022, the Jane Doe sued Brown for sexual assault and battery after he allegedly raped her on a Miami yacht owned by disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the lawsuit was dismissed “without prejudice” and can be refiled.
In the statement, Brown’s lawyers accused the corporations of amplifying Jane Doe’s “defamatory lies” and claimed the alleged victim “actively pursued” a “consensual” relationship with the singer.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday (US time) in Los Angeles Superior Court, further claimed the Jane Doe had a domestic violence restraining order filed against her and a “history of violence and erratic behavior”.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the suit alleged the producers “[ignored] publicly available court records and other credible evidence”.
A spokesperson for Investigation Discovery said a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that it stands behind the production and “will vigorously defend ourselves against this lawsuit”.
The lawsuit also named producers Ample, Scaachi Koul, Sharon Carpenter, Michelle Taylor and Cheryl Dorsey.
Brown is seeking at least US$500 million (NZ$880m) in compensation – an unspecified percentage of which he said will be donated to survivors of sexual abuse.
The 35-year-old addressed his 2009 assault of Rihanna in the 2017 self-produced documentary, Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life, in which he claimed: “I went from being on top of the world, number one songs, being kind of like America’s sweetheart, to being public enemy number one”.
“We would fight each other. She would hit me, I would hit her and it never was OK,” he alleged.
Brown received five years probation and a community service order for the assault.
In 2017, Brown’s former girlfriend Karrueche Tran was granted a five-year domestic violence restraining order against him, which she sought to extend in 2020. In the filing, Tran accused Brown of physical violence and threatening to kill her.
In July 2024, Brown and his entourage were sued for US$50 million (NZ$88m) after the “brutal” and “violent” alleged assault of four concertgoers.
In June 2021, Brown was investigated by police for allegedly slapping a woman at his Los Angeles home.
The singer has three children – Royalty, 10, Aeko, 5, and Lovely, 3 – with three women.
Chris Brown: A History of Violence is available to watch in New Zealand on ThreeNow.