Chris Brown Ordered to Pay Nearly $13 Million After Housekeeper’s Dog Attack Lawsuit

Chris Brown has been ordered to pay nearly $13 million after a jury sided with a former housekeeper who said she was mauled by a dog while working at his California home.

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The verdict, handed down today (June 30), found Brown and his company Black Pyramid LLC liable for negligence in connection with the 2020 incident involving Maria Avila.

According to Billboard, Avila was awarded $12.9 million in damages. Her sister Patricia Avila, who was also working at the Tarzana property on the day of the attack, was separately awarded $885,000 for emotional distress. Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, was awarded $50,000.

The incident took place while Maria was emptying trash outside the singer’s home. She said she was suddenly attacked by Hades, a 200-pound Caucasian shepherd, a large guard-dog breed.

Avila alleged the attack left her with devastating injuries, including permanent facial disfigurement, scarring, vision loss, and nerve damage.

The civil case was filed in 2021 and went to trial this month. Brown accepted some liability for negligence before the trial began, but disputed the extent of Avila’s injuries and argued she was partly at fault.

While testifying on June 18, the R&B star said he had warned Maria and Patricia that multiple dogs on the property were “absolutely not” friendly and said they should not go outside without security present.

Brown also told jurors that Hades was not his personal pet, but a dog purchased and cared for by his security team due to concerns about break-ins and “stalker-type situations.”

Michael C. Murphy Jr., a lawyer for Maria, said in a statement:

“After more than five years of litigating against Chris Brown, we are thrilled that we were able to get justice for our client, Patricia.”

The ruling comes as Brown is currently on the road co-headlining ‘The R&B Tour’ with Usher.