Chris Brown pleads not guilty over alleged nightclub attack

Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty over an alleged attack in a London nightclub.

On Friday morning, the U.S. rapper arrived at Southwark Crown Court in London to enter a plea after being charged in connection with an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub in February 2023.

The 36-year-old is accused of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to music producer Abraham Diaw.

Just hours after he performed at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium as part of his Breezy Bowl tour, Brown appeared in court wearing a blue suit and large sunglasses.

During the hearing, the Run It singer pleaded not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.

Brown’s co-defendant, U.S. musician Omololu Akinlolu, also known as Hoody Baby, also pleaded not guilty to the same charge.

The Forever hitmaker also faces charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon, both relating to the same incident. The judge adjourned the arraignment on those two counts, meaning that the rapper doesn’t have to enter a plea until 11 July.

The judge set the trial date for 26 October 2026.

Brown was initially arrested in Manchester on 15 May when he arrived in the U.K. for his ongoing tour.

During his first court appearance last month, it was claimed that Diaw was at London’s Tape nightclub when he was allegedly hit several times with a bottle before being “punched and kicked” repeatedly.

Brown kicked off the U.K. leg of his tour in Manchester just weeks after he was arrested in the city.

During his performance, he told the crowd, “Thank you for coming and supporting me. And thank you to the jail…It was really nice.”