LONDON: American R&B singer Chris Brown on Friday was remanded in custody until June 13 by a UK court, having been charged with assault in a London nightclub in 2023.
A judge’s ruling in a Manchester court, in northwest England, has cast doubt over Brown’s sold-out concerts scheduled in the Netherlands and Germany on June 8 and 11.
The former boyfriend of superstar Rihanna was arrested in the early hours of Thursday at a Manchester hotel and then charged over the alleged assault at a London nightclub in 2023, police said.
Grammy-winning singer is scheduled to play in Germany that day, and has a series of shows planned in the UK and Europe during June and July, before heading to the United States.
Brown, 36, rose to fame with mid-2000s hits like “Kiss, Kiss,” but his career has also been marked by a series of legal issues, including a felony conviction in 2009 for assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna.
He has also faced multiple criminal allegations over the years, including accusations of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Hotel arrest
Chris Brown has been charged with “grievous bodily harm with intent” in connection with an alleged assault that took place on February 19, 2023, at a venue in Hanover Square, London, according to police.
The Sun newspaper reported that Brown allegedly attacked music producer Abe Diaw with a bottle at Tape nightclub, located in London’s upscale Mayfair district. At the time, Brown was touring the UK.
He reportedly arrived at Manchester Airport by private jet on Wednesday afternoon and was later detained by police at the five-star Lowry Hotel in Manchester, according to media sources.
A two-time Grammy Award winner, Brown gained fame at a young age for his smooth R&B vocals and later incorporated rap into his music. Despite his commercial success—with tens of millions of records sold worldwide—his career has been repeatedly overshadowed by legal troubles.
His public image was significantly damaged in 2009 following his conviction for assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna, an incident that forced the pop star to miss that year’s Grammy Awards.
In 2012, the American singer was involved in an altercation at a New York nightclub with members of hip hop star Drake’s entourage.
Brown won his first Grammy for best R&B album in 2011 for “F.A.M.E.” and then earned his second gold trophy in the same category for “11:11 (Deluxe)” earlier this year.
