Chris Brown charged with grievous bodily harm after bottle attack in London nightclub
Brooke Ivey Johnson
Singer Chris Brown has been charged with grievous bodily harm with intent after he was arrested in the early hours of Thursday morning at a five-star hotel in Manchester.
Police arrested Brown on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm to music producer Abe Diaw at Tape nightclub in Mayfair, Central London, in February 2023.
The 36-year-old American R&B star was arrested just after 2am at the Lowry Hotel, and it has now been confirmed that he has been charged.
Adele Kelly, the Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London North, said: ‘We have authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Chris Brown with one count of grievous bodily harm, contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
symbol
00:46
02:24
Read More
‘The alleged incident occurred in London on 19 February 2023.
‘He will have his first court appearance on Friday 16 May at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.
‘The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.
‘It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.’
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - APRIL 19: Chris Brown performs onstage during the Tycoon Music Festival at Little Caesars Arena on April 19, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage)
The star is scheduled to kick off his UK tour on June 15 in Manchester (Picture: Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage)
Chris Brown The 11:11 Tour - Houston, TX
Brown remains in custody, according to The Met (Picture: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)
Brown flew into Manchester Airport on a private jet on Wednesday afternoon, possibly to begin rehearsals for his tour, which kicks off its UK leg on June 15 in Manchester.
The Sun contacted police following confirmation that Brown was in the country, asking if he would be placed under arrest for the incident.
Met detectives then travelled to Manchester to arrest the two-time Grammy winner after receiving the tip.
Diaw alleges Brown attacked him unprovoked at around 3am on the night in question. Brown and his entourage were attending a Dirty Martini club night held at Tape nightclub.
Diaw claims Brown broke a bottle over his head and then punched and kicked him after he fell to the ground, sustaining injuries that led him to be taken to hospital.
Diaw has launched a civil claim against Brown for $16million (£12m) in damages for injuries and losses suffered as a result of the alleged attack.
Chris Brown UK Tour Dates
Tue Jul 1 – Glasgow, UK – Hampden Park
Sun Jun 15 – Manchester – Co-Op Live
Mon Jun 16 – Manchester – Co-Op Live
Thu Jun 19 – Cardiff – Cardiff Principality Stadium
Sat Jun 21 – London – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Thu Jun 26 – Birmingham – Villa Park Stadium
The Met Police told Metro: ‘A 36-year-old man was arrested at a hotel in Manchester shortly after 02:00hrs on Thursday, 15 May on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
‘He has been taken into custody where he remains.
‘The arrest relates to an incident at a venue in Hanover Square on 19 February 2023.
‘The investigation is being led by detectives from the Central West Area Basic Command Unit.’
The future of Brown’s Breezy Bowl XX Tour – a celebration of his 20-year career – now appears uncertain. The singer is set to kick off the tour on June 8 in Amsterdam, before moving to the UK.
Opener Bryson Tiller will join him in Europe and the UK, with dates in Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff, London, and Birmingham.
Today
The singer first rose to fame in 2005 (Picture: NBC/Getty)
Tycoon Music Festival
Brown was in London for his 11:11 tour at the time of the alleged incident (Picture: Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage)
When announcing the tour on Instagram in March, Brown wrote: ‘CELEBRATING 20 years of CB. So excited to be able to share this moment with the world and my amazing fans..
‘I CANT WAIT TO SEE ALL YALLS BEAUTIFUL FACES. IMA TAKE YALL THREW THESE ERAS BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY GIVE YALL MY HEART AND SOUL.’
The tour is a follow-up to his hit 11:11 tour in 2024, which generated $82.3million (£64m) and sold 446,000 tickets.
Metro has reached out to Chris Brown’s reps for comment.
Got a story?
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings