Chris Brown ordered to pay 13 million dollars following dog attack on housekeeper

A jury in Los Angeles ruled on Tuesday, June 30, that R&B singer Chris Brown and his company Black Pyramid LLC must pay a combined total of nearly 13 million dollars to the victims of a serious dog attack at his home in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles. The attack took place on December 12, 2020, when housekeeper Maria Avila was outside emptying the trash and was suddenly attacked by Hades, a Caucasian Shepherd dog weighing around 90 kilograms. That breed is known for its use as a guard dog at Russian prisons. Hades tore large pieces of skin from her body, resulting in permanent disfigurement of her face, scarring, vision loss, and nerve damage.

The jury awarded Maria Avila 12.9 million dollars for negligence. Her sister Patricia Avila, who was working alongside her on the day of the attack, received 885,000 dollars for emotional distress. Maria's husband Oscar Olivo was additionally awarded 50,000 dollars after he claimed that his wife's injuries had seriously affected their married life. Attorney Michael C. Murphy Jr., who represented Patricia, was elated after the verdict: "After more than five years of litigating against Chris Brown, we are thrilled that we were able to get justice for our client, Patricia. We are so happy for her and her family after everything they went through on that horrible day. It was an honor to represent her."

During the two week trial, Maria Avila testified in Spanish through an interpreter, visibly emotional. She described how surgeons had to graft skin from her abdomen onto her severely damaged arm, after which she was unable to bend it normally for weeks. The wounds on her face required dozens of stitches. Because pandemic restrictions were in effect, her family was not allowed to visit her during her five day hospital stay, meaning she recovered entirely alone. Nerve damage and chronic sensitivity on her left side still affect her sleep and ability to carry out daily tasks. On top of that, the attack left her so afraid of dogs that she can no longer realistically work as a housekeeper, since most of her former clients own a dog. "I will never be the same again," she told the jury on June 24.

Maria's daughter Yoseline Espinoza testified that on the day of the attack she received a panicked phone call from her aunt Patricia. According to her testimony, Patricia said: "Your mom can't breathe. She keeps passing out on me. The ambulance is still not here. Chris Brown fled the scene." Espinoza stated that at that moment she thought her mother was not going to survive.

Brown, 37 years old, was the first witness at the trial. He told the jury that he heard Hades growling outside, ran downstairs, and found Avila unconscious on the ground. He said he locked up the dog and called his security guard for help. He did not call 911 himself, saying he was afraid a recording would leak to the media. He also left his property before the ambulance arrived, citing his status as a celebrity and saying his manager had advised him to do so. Brown also acknowledged that he had never asked his security staff to preserve the surveillance footage from that day. During the trial, Brown had already admitted partial liability for negligence in advance, but he disputed the extent of Maria's injuries and argued that she bore some responsibility herself. He also testified that he had previously warned both her and Patricia that the dogs on the property were definitely not friendly and that they were only allowed outside accompanied by security personnel. He further stated that Hades was not his own pet but had been purchased by his security team to deter intruders, due to stalkers who regularly harass him.

Brown is currently on his Raymond and Brown Tour, which he is co headlining with Usher. Representatives for Brown did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the verdict.