singing Chris Brown has been ordered to pay nearly $13 million in damages after a jury found him liable for “negligence” in a lawsuit over a dog attack that left one of his mistresses permanently disfigured.
Chris Brown was found responsible in a dog attack case
On June 30, a jury reportedly ruled that Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, must pay $12.9 million in damages to housekeeper Maria Avila, who was mauled by the singer’s 200-pound Caucasian shepherd while working at her California home.Michael C. Murphy Jr., an attorney representing Maria’s sister, Patricia Avila, confirmed the verdict.As Billboard reported, Patricia, who was working with her sister at the time of the incident, was separately awarded $885,000 for emotional distress. Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, also received $50,000.
Mistress opens up about dog attack
According to the report, the housekeeper, Maria was emptying the trash outside Brown’s residence with the dog that attacked her without warning. She claimed the dog tore off “large chunks of her skin”, leaving her with permanent facial disfigurement, scarring, vision loss and nerve damage.Maria filed a lawsuit against Brown in 2021 and the case went to trial in June 2026.
Chris Brown claims he ‘warned’ the dog owner
Before the two-week trial, Brown admitted partial liability for negligence, but disputed the severity of Maria’s injuries and argued that she had some responsibility for the incident.Testifying on June 18, Brown said he had personally warned both Maria and Patricia that the dogs on the property were “absolutely” not friendly. He shared that the dog had been purchased to guard the property and help protect the house from break-ins. “I have a lot of stalker-type situations,” he told the jury.
Lawyers react to the verdict
After the verdict, attorney Michael C. Murphy Jr. said, “We’re glad we were able to get justice for our client, Patricia. We’re so happy for her and her family after everything they went through on that horrible day. It was an honor to represent her.”