A Los Angeles jury has found American singer Chris Brown liable for negligence in a civil lawsuit arising from a 2020 dog attack that left his former housekeeper, Maria Avila, with life-changing injuries.
Following a two-week trial, the jury ordered Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, to pay $12.9 million in damages to Avila.
The lawsuit stemmed from an incident at Brown’s home in Tarzana, California, where Avila was attacked by a 200-pound Caucasian Shepherd named Hades while taking out the rubbish. She sustained severe injuries, including permanent facial disfigurement, scarring, vision loss, nerve damage, and lasting psychological trauma.
During the trial, Brown argued that the dog was kept for security purposes and claimed he had warned workers, including Avila and her sister Patricia, not to go outside without security because the dogs were unfriendly.
However, both Avila and Patricia denied ever receiving such a warning, stating that language barriers would have made that conversation unlikely.
Court testimony also revealed that Brown left the property after the attack instead of calling emergency services. Brown told the jury he acted on the advice of his manager, who feared his presence would attract media attention.
He testified that he had been preparing to shower when he heard the dog growling and discovered Avila lying on the ground covered in blood.
“The blood kind of freaked me out,” Brown told the court, adding that he was in shock.
Although Brown accepted some responsibility before the trial, he disputed the extent of Avila’s injuries and argued that she shared some responsibility for the incident.
Speaking through an interpreter, Avila described the devastating impact of the attack, revealing she underwent multiple surgeries, including skin grafts taken from her abdomen to repair her injured arm. She said the injuries have left her with permanent scars, limited mobility, and post-traumatic stress disorder, making it impossible for her to return to work as a housekeeper.
The jury also awarded $885,000 in damages to Patricia and $50,000 to Maria Avila’s husband, Oscar Olivo.
Patricia’s attorney, Michael C. Murphy, welcomed the verdict, describing it as long-awaited justice after years of legal proceedings.
Brown’s representatives had not publicly commented on the verdict at the time of reporting.
