Chris Brown faces up to 3 years in prison for London nightclub bottle attack

Chris Brown faces a possible prison term of up to three years as a London judge prepares to sentence him for a 2023 nightclub fight in which he attacked a music producer with a bottle, the Associated Press reported.

The 37-year-old R&B star arrived at Southwark Crown Court on Monday. A handful of supporters cheered as he got out of his car, according to AP. Brown kept his face hidden behind a black mask, sunglasses and a black cap, and wore a black leather jacket.

The case stems from a February 2023 altercation at Tape, a nightclub in London’s upscale Mayfair district, where producer Abraham Diaw was struck. Brown initially denied hitting Diaw, but prosecutors said surveillance cameras recorded the fight in front of a crowded club.

In July, Brown admitted to a single count of affray. Under the agreement, prosecutors dropped more serious charges: assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, and possession of an offensive weapon. Omololu Akinlolu, Brown’s friend and vocal coach, also pleaded guilty to affray and is due to be sentenced as well, AP reported.

Brown left Britain after the incident. He was arrested in May 2025 at a hotel in Manchester, where he had traveled for a concert. He was later released on £5 million (about $6.7 million) bail, which allowed him to continue touring in Europe and North America last summer.

Brown became famous as a teenager in 2005 and has won two Grammys for best R&B album: in 2011 for “F.A.M.E.” and in 2025 for “11:11 (Deluxe).”

His career has been marked by repeated legal problems. In 2009, he was convicted of a felony for assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna on the eve of the Grammy Awards. He has since been arrested in several U.S. states over altercations. In 2019, Paris police detained and questioned him on suspicion of rape, but he was released without charge.

With inputs from the Associated Press