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A California jury has ordered singer Chris Brown to pay nearly $13 million in damages after finding him responsible for injuries suffered by a former housekeeper who was attacked by a large guard dog at his home.
The verdict, delivered Tuesday (June 30), awards Maria Avila $12.9 million after jurors concluded that Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, were negligent. The decision follows a lawsuit filed over a 2020 incident at Brown's Tarzana, California, property.
The jury also awarded Maria's sister, Patricia Avila, $885,000 for emotional distress. Patricia was working alongside her sister when the attack happened. Maria's husband, Oscar Olivo, received an additional $50,000, according to Michael C. Murphy Jr., an attorney representing Patricia.
Court records show Maria was taking out trash outside the residence when Hades, a 200-pound Caucasian shepherd kept on the property, attacked her without warning. The lawsuit states the dog tore away "large chunks of her skin," leaving her with permanent facial disfigurement, visible scarring, vision loss, and lasting nerve damage.
Maria filed her lawsuit in 2021. The case went to trial in June, where Brown acknowledged some responsibility for negligence before proceedings began. His legal team argued that the severity of Maria's injuries was overstated and claimed she shared responsibility for what happened.
During testimony on June 18, Brown told jurors he had warned both Maria and Patricia about the dogs at the property. He said they were "absolutely not" friendly and instructed them not to go outside unless accompanied by members of his security team.
Brown also testified that Hades was not his personal pet. He said the Caucasian shepherd had been purchased and cared for by security personnel to protect the home from intruders.
"I get a lot of stalker-type situations," he told the jury.
Following the verdict, attorney Michael C. Murphy Jr. welcomed the outcome on behalf of Patricia Avila.
"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," added Murphy. "It was an honor to represent her."
The verdict brings one of the most closely watched civil cases involving the R&B singer to a close, marking a significant financial judgment tied to the injuries sustained during the 2020 attack.
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