Chris Brown reportedly won court approval to exclude the Rihanna assault case from his $90M dog bite trial. The ruling means lawyers in the civil case cannot mention the past criminal incident during trial proceedings. The current dispute stems from a 2024 incident where Brown’s dog allegedly bit and injured a woman at his Los Angeles home.
Chris Brown reportedly scores major legal win in dog bite case
Chris Brown reportedly landed a major legal win when the court barred any mention of the Rihanna assault case during his $90 million dog bite trial.
Per court filings reviewed by TMZ, a judge has barred the rapper’s ex-housekeeper from referencing his 2009 assault arrest in her dog bite lawsuit. The court said that only the bite incident can be discussed at trial.
Maria Avila is suing Brown, claiming his dog Hades attacked and mauled her in 2020 while she was taking out trash at his Los Angeles home. The “Sensational” singer, however, has denied responsibility for her injuries and had previously claimed that Avila may have provoked the dog.
In pre-trial arguments, both parties clashed over which evidence the jury could hear. Alvila argued that the jury should hear about his 2009 domestic violence incident with ex-girlfriend Rihanna.
Meanwhile, Brown and his attorneys argued that mentioning his prior arrests would unfairly bias the jury and cast him in a negative light. They also claimed the 2009 Rihanna case had no connection to the dog bite allegations. The judge ultimately agreed with the “Under the Influence” hitmaker.
Chris Brown and Rihanna were in a relationship from 2007 to 2009. It ended after Brown was convicted of a felony for assaulting Rihanna in February 2009. The assault happened in Brown’s car following a pre-Grammy party in Los Angeles, leaving the “Umbrella” singer with visible injuries. They reconciled briefly in late 2012 before ending things for good in May 2013.
Rihanna is now in a long-term relationship with rapper and producer A$AP Rocky. Together since 2020, the couple shares three kids: sons RZA and Riot, plus a daughter.
