Riyah Collins
BBC Newsbeat
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Chris Brown has nearly 50m monthly listeners on Spotify
Musician Chris Brown says he’s suing a film studio over a documentary released last year which included accusations of sexual assault.
Chris Brown: A History of Violence was released by Warner Bros in October and featured testimony from an anonymous dancer who claimed he raped her on a yacht in 2020.
In a statement, the Forever singer’s lawyers say the film is “defamatory”, and her claims were “baseless” and “sensationalised”, accusing Warner Bros of “recklessly damaging” his reputation.
As well as Warner Bros, the lawsuit also names production company Ample. Neither firm responded when contacted for comment by BBC Newsbeat.
Chris Brown’s lawyers say he is seeking $500m (£405m), after filing the complaint at a court in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
The statement goes on to say that his lawyers had told producers the allegations – which also included evidence tampering – were “misleading” and “discredited” but that Warner Bros proceeded to release the documentary “without regard for Mr Brown, prioritising profits over journalistic integrity”.
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The documentary was released in October and caused Chris Brown “significant harm”, his lawyers say
In a copy of the complaint, seen by BBC Newsbeat, Chris Brown’s lawyers cast doubt on the dancer’s reliability as a witness and highlight three claims in the documentary which they say are “false”.
These include a comment that he has a “predisposition for punching women in the face”, the dancer’s allegation he raped her and a claim he manipulated or deleted texts between them before sharing them with police.
Lawyers say the documentary “states in every available fashion that he is a serial rapist and sexual abuser”.
The allegations are said to have caused him emotional distress as well as “significant harm to [his] reputation, career and business opportunities”.
The documentary has, they say, “irreparably tarnished [his] career and standing in the public eye”.
Other allegations
Chris Brown first faced allegations from the dancer, known in court and in the documentary as Jane Doe, in 2022 when she sued him for $20m (£14.9m).
Her lawsuit claimed he drugged and raped her during a party on a yacht at a property owned by Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ in Miami, Florida.
But the case was reportedly dismissed by a judge.
The 35-year-old has had a history of well-documented legal troubles.
In 2014, he pleaded guilty to punching a man outside a hotel in Washington DC while he was taking a photo with two women.
Two years later, a model claimed he assaulted her at a Las Vegas casino, however police said there was not enough evidence to bring charges.
A court also ordered him to stay away from ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran in 2017 after she claimed he threatened to kill her.
Last year’s documentary also examined other allegations against Chris Brown including a rape inquiry in Paris – in which he was released without charge – and assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, which he pleaded guilty to.
His lawyers say he’s “never been found at fault for any type of sexual crime”.
“Their [Warner Bros and Ample’s] actions undermine not only Mr Brown’s decade-long efforts to rebuild his life but also the credibility of true survivors of violence,” his lawyer Levi McCathern says.
Chris Brown says a portion of any damages would be donated to survivors of sexual violence.
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