Chris Brown ordered to pay housekeeper $12.9m after dog attack

Chris Brown ordered to pay housekeeper $12.9m after dog attack

A Los Angeles jury has found singer Chris Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, liable for negligence after a 200-pound Caucasian shepherd mauled a housekeeper at his Tarzana, California, residence. On Tuesday, June 30, 2026, the jury ordered Brown to pay Maria Avila $12.9 million for damages resulting from the attack.

The incident occurred on December 12, 2020, while Avila was emptying rubbish outside the home. The dog, named Hades, ripped off large chunks of her skin and some bone, according to testimony. Avila told the court she suffered severe scarring on her face and left arm, nerve damage, and vision loss. She further testified that she cannot return to work as a housekeeper due to post-traumatic stress and a lack of arm strength.

To repair her arm, surgeons grafted skin from Avila's abdomen, which left her unable to bend at the waist during recovery. Lacerations to her face required dozens of sutures. Rolling Stone reported that Avila showed jurors raised and pitted skin on her forearm and a pattern of scars running from beneath her left eye across her forehead. I will never be the same again, she told jurors.

Beyond the payment to Avila, the jury awarded $885,000 to her sister, Patricia Avila, for emotional distress. Patricia was also working at the home during the attack. Additionally, Maria's husband, Oscar Olivo, was awarded $50,000 on grounds of loss of consortium, with claims that the injuries caused intimacy issues.

The verdict follows a complex legal path. Avila originally filed her lawsuit in April 2021, seeking $90 million. A first trial ended in a mistrial in mid-June after a judge discovered a juror had searched the internet for information and shared it. This second trial lasted two weeks.

Disputed accounts of the aftermath

Testimony regarding Brown's actions immediately following the mauling varied. Brown told the jury he heard the dog growling from upstairs and went down to find Avila motionless and covered in a lot of blood. He testified that he checked to see if she was breathing and instructed security to secure the dogs.

However, the lawsuit alleged that Brown stood over Avila while she lay in a pool of blood, talking on her phone and telling his team to leave the home. According to the lawsuit, Brown fled the scene before police and fire personnel arrived. This was supported by testimony from Avila's daughter, Yoseline Espinoza, who said Patricia Avila called her in a panic, stating, Chris Brown fled the scene.

Brown admitted he left the scene on the advice of his manager. He told the jury he feared his celebrity status would create a media circus or a misleading story if his voice were heard on a 911 call. He testified that he drove around for several hours and stopped at a gas station before returning home.

Security dogs and liability

Brown defended the presence of the animal, stating Hades was not a personal pet but was purchased and managed by security guards to protect the home from break-ins and stalker-type situations. He argued that Avila was partially at fault because he had warned her and Patricia that the dogs were absolutely not friendly and should only be approached when security was present.

The housekeepers denied this conversation took place, noting that a language barrier would have made such a discussion unlikely.

In a separate deposition, Brown's security supervisor, Emil Lewis, testified that he personally paid Avila and her family between $30,000 and $40,000 in cash and checks around Christmas 2020 because he felt sorry for them. Lewis stated he did not discuss these payments with Brown.

Hades was later euthanized by the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office Animal Shelter. The agency found the dog to be dangerous and vicious and noted that it continued to show extreme aggression even when in the pound.

Ongoing legal and professional activities

The ruling coincides with Brown's current joint tour with Usher. The R&B Tour began on June 26 in Denver and consists of more than 40 dates, with a stop scheduled for Detroit on July 2 and a closing date in Tampa, Florida, on December 12.

Brown continues to face other legal challenges. In May 2025, he was arrested and charged in the United Kingdom for an alleged unprovoked attack on music producer Amadou Abe Diaw in a 2023 nightclub incident. Diaw filed a lawsuit claiming Brown hit him in the head with a tequila bottle, inflicting severe and lasting injuries. Brown has pleaded not guilty and is currently out on bail; he is scheduled to face trial in the UK in October.