Chris Brown sues Warner Bros. over documentary sexual assault allegations

Musician Chris Brown says he is suing a movie studio over a documentary released last year that contained sexual assault allegations.

Warner Bros. released “Chris Brown: A History of Violence” in October, which features the testimony of an anonymous dancer who claims he raped her on a yacht in 2020.

The Forever singer's lawyer said in a statement that the film was “defamatory” and her claims were “baseless” and “sensational” and accused Warner Bros. of “wantonly damaging” his reputation.

In addition to Warner Bros., the lawsuit names production company Ample. Neither company responded when contacted by BBC Newsbeat for comment.

Chris Brown is seeking $500m (£405m) in damages, his lawyers said after the lawsuit was filed in a Los Angeles court on Tuesday.

The statement goes on to say that his attorneys told the producers that the allegations, which also included tampering with evidence, were “misleading” and “discreditable,” but Warner Bros. continued to release the documentary “without regard for Mr. Brown and putting profits before “On top of journalistic integrity.”

Chris Brown first faced accusations from the dancer, known as “Jane Doe” in court and in documentaries, in 2022 when she sued him for $20 million (£14.9m).

Her lawsuit claims he drugged and raped her at a party on a yacht owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs in Miami, Florida.

But the case was reportedly dismissed by a judge.

The singer has a well-documented history of legal troubles.

In 2014, he Pleaded guilty to assaulting a man outside a hotel in Washington, D.C., where he was posing for a photo with two women.

Two years later, Model claims he assaulted her at Las Vegas casinoBut police said there was insufficient evidence to press charges.

The court also ordered him Stay away from ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran in 2017 after she claimed he threatened to kill her.

Last year's documentary also examined other allegations against Chris Brown, including a rape investigation in Paris (where he was released without charge) and a 2009 assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna (to which he pleaded guilty).

His lawyer said he was “never found culpable for any type of sex crime.”

“Their (Warner Bros. and Ample's) actions not only undermine Mr. Brown's decade-long efforts to rebuild his life, but also undermine the credibility of a genuine survivor of violence,” said his attorney, Levi McCathern .

Chris Brown said a portion of all losses will be donated to survivors of sexual violence.