Chris Brown Sues Warner Bros. for $500M Over Docuseries, Says He Was Falsely Labeled as an Abuser

Chris Brown is suing Warner Bros. for $500 million, alleging he was labeled as a serial rapist and abuser in Investigation Discovery’s docuseries, Chris Brown: A Historical past of Violence.

Brown, by means of his attorneys, filed the lawsuit in California’s Superior Courtroom for Los Angeles County on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Within the court docket paperwork, obtained by PEOPLE, the “Sensational” singer, 35, known as out the October 2024 docuseries, which confirmed a number of ladies coming ahead and detailing their alleged experiences with Brown.

Brown is suing Warner Bros., Ample, and the documentary’s producers for alleged defamation-libel and infliction of emotional misery by means of the claims made within the documentary.

One accuser, recognized as Jane Doe, alleges Brown raped her in 2020. The R&B singer’s attorneys denied the claims within the documentary.

“This case is in regards to the media placing their very own earnings over the reality,” Tuesday’s lawsuit claims, including that the community aired the documentary “realizing that it was filled with lies and deception and violating journalistic ideas.”

The submitting alleges that the lady recognized as Doe had beforehand been “discredited” as an alleged “perpetrator of intimate accomplice violence and aggressor herself.” The lawsuit states that Brown has not ever been convicted of any intercourse crimes, nonetheless, the challenge paints him as a “serial rapist” and “sexual abuser.”

Brown’s attorneys say he has labored arduous at “redeeming” his popularity over the previous decade. In 2009, he was charged with two felonies — assault and making prison threats — within the beating of his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, the month earlier than. He pleaded responsible on June 22, 2009, and accepted a plea deal of group labor, 5 years’ probation and home violence counseling.

“Mr. Brown has grown from these experiences, and his evolution speaks for itself,” the lawsuit continues. “This new manufacturing ignores that development, selecting as a substitute to repackage stale accusations whereas amplifying them with demonstrable falsehoods.”

The submitting then addresses Doe, who based on the criticism initially sued Brown in January 2022, alleging he sexually assaulted her on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ yacht in Miami. She additionally sued on allegations battery, intentional and negligent infliction and emotional misery. The case was dismissed in August 2022 after a Miami Seaside Police officer found textual content messages despatched by Doe “that uncovered her dishonesty,” Brown’s submitting claims.

Brown’s lawsuit consists of alleged screenshots of a restraining order Doe’s boyfriend allegedly filed in opposition to her in 2021, claiming she bodily assaulted him, threatened him with a knife and harassed him on-line.

“After being placed on discover that their documentary contained false claims and violated journalistic skilled requirements, Defendants continued in releasing this Documentary,” the criticism claimed.

The submitting additional alleges that the documentary has broken Brown’s profession and enterprise alternatives.

“This case is about defending the reality,” Brown’s lawyer, Levi McCathern mentioned in a launch shared with PEOPLE. “Regardless of being supplied with proof disproving their claims, the producers of this documentary deliberately promoted false and defamatory data, knowingly disregarding their moral obligations as journalists.”

“Their actions undermine not solely Mr. Brown’s decade-long efforts to rebuild his life but in addition the credibility of true survivors of violence.”

Brown is suing for alleged defamation, intentional infliction of emotional misery and utilizing his title and likeness for promotional functions. He’s asking for $500,000 in damages and a jury trial.

If you happen to or somebody you already know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.