Entertainment
Los Angeles judge orders Chris Brown to divert tour earnings to former housekeeper following $13M verdict
A judge ruled that revenue from the singer's current stadium tour must be assigned to pay a judgment awarded after a 2020 dog attack.
The short version
- A Los Angeles judge ordered Chris Brown to assign his present and future nonexempt tour earnings to his former housekeeper, Maria Avila.
- The decision aims to satisfy a $12.9 million judgment awarded to Avila, who suffered severe injuries after being attacked by Brown's dog in 2020.
- Avila's legal team requested the court intervention after claiming Brown had made no payments toward the verdict.
- Brown is currently attempting to overturn the original $13 million verdict and is expected to contest the tour income assignment order.
Key facts
- Judge Huey P. Cotton ruled on August 20 that all present and future nonexempt payment rights to Brown from his current tour must be assigned to Maria Avila.[Billboard]
- Avila was awarded $12.9 million in damages in late June following a trial over a 2020 incident where she was severely injured by Brown's 200-pound Caucasian shepherd.[Billboard]
- Avila's lawyers requested the order after alleging Brown made no efforts to pay the judgment and failed to answer communications regarding payment.[Billboard]
- Brown opposed the request prior to the ruling, characterizing the proposed order as overly broad.[Billboard]
- The co-headlining stadium tour with Usher had grossed over $115 million across 16 shows as of August 1, with dates scheduled through December.[Billboard]
What remains uncertain
- The outcome of Brown's efforts to overturn the $13 million verdict and his expected challenge to the tour revenue assignment order remain unresolved.[Billboard]