Chris Brown has been ordered to pay nearly $13 million to his former housekeeper after a Los Angeles jury found him liable for a brutal dog attack that left her permanently disfigured.
The verdict brings an end to a years-long legal battle stemming from a horrific incident at Brown’s California home in 2020, where the singer’s 200-pound Caucasian shepherd, Hades, allegedly attacked housekeeper Maria Avila while she was working on the property.
According to court testimony, Avila was taking out the trash at Brown’s Tarzana home when the dog suddenly lunged at her, biting her face and arm.
The attack left her with devastating injuries, including permanent facial disfigurement, nerve damage, impaired mobility, and lasting emotional trauma. She underwent multiple surgeries and testified that the injuries have dramatically changed her daily life.
After a two-week trial, jurors ruled that Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, were negligent.
The jury awarded Avila $12.9 million in damages. In addition, her sister Patricia Avila, who witnessed the attack and suffered emotional distress, was awarded $885,000, while Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, received $50,000.
During the trial, Brown admitted he left the property before emergency responders arrived.
He testified that his manager advised him to leave because they feared his presence would create a media frenzy. Brown also argued that he had previously warned the housekeepers that several dogs on the property were aggressive and should not be approached without security.
Maria and Patricia Avila disputed that claim, saying they never understood such warnings and denied knowingly putting themselves in danger.
Brown further testified that Hades was not his personal pet but a security dog kept to protect the property because of previous break-in attempts and stalking incidents.
While he accepted some responsibility before trial, he challenged the extent of Avila’s injuries and argued she shared some responsibility for what happened. The jury ultimately rejected those arguments and found in favor of the victims.
The civil verdict comes as Brown continues dealing with other legal matters.
He is currently on tour and is also awaiting trial in the United Kingdom over separate allegations connected to an alleged 2023 nightclub assault, a case unrelated to the dog attack.
For Maria Avila, however, the case has always been about accountability.
Her attorneys said the verdict recognizes the lifelong physical and emotional consequences of the attack and provides long-awaited justice after nearly six years of litigation.
