Singer Chris Brown pleads guilty to affray over London nightclub attack

Singer Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to affray over a confrontation at a London nightclub in which a man was hit over the head with a bottle.

The US musician faced an allegation he attacked a former friend at the Tape club in Mayfair in 2023.

The 37-year-old previously denied allegations of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Abraham Diaw, along with two charges of possessing an offensive weapon - a bottle - in a public place and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm.

At Southwark Crown Court on Friday, prosecutors dropped these charges, and the R&B singer admitted an additional charge of affray.

Brown, from California, USA, was charged along with his vocal coach, Omololu Akinlolu, 40, who had also denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm and has now pleaded guilty to affray.

Prosecutors said Brown approached the victim from the dancefloor and after moving through the crowd, "struck him twice over the head with a glass bottle".

The fight was caught on a surveillance camera in front of the club, prosecutors said.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) added that Akinlolu, of Florida, USA, "quickly joined Brown and punched the victim to the head".

The CPS said the pair "continued their assault whilst the victim attempted to flee through the club" and "the victim was kicked while he was seated defenceless on the floor".

The victim was taken to St Mary's Hospital with head and knee injuries.

Following the attack, police discovered Brown and Akinlolu had left the UK and a warrant was issued for their arrest.

Brown returned to the UK over two years after the incident for a concert in Manchester as part of his world tour and was arrested on 15 May last year.

During the brief court hearing on Friday, prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC applied for an extra charge of affray to be added to the indictment, saying this had been accepted by all parties.

Brown arrived at court wearing a tan suit, gold-rimmed sunglasses, a St Louis Cardinals baseball hat, and flanked by security guards.

He waved to fans who were playing his music and shouting his name, with one saying "I love you Chris".

He was previously ordered to pay a £5 million security fee as part of his bail conditions and allowed to go on a world tour, as long as he surrendered his passport on arrival in each country.

Detective Constable Zara Ripamonti, from the Metropolitan Police Service, said: "This was a disgraceful, unprovoked assault that put a man in hospital.

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"There is no place for serious violence like this in London and I'm pleased these men accepted what they did wasn't just completely unacceptable - but criminal.

"This has been a long investigation and we've worked with police colleagues in the UK to bring these two men to justice."

Both Brown and Akinlolu were bailed to be sentenced on October 26 at Southwark Crown Court.

Claire Campbell, senior crown prosecutor in CPS London South said after the hearing: "This kind of violence is entirely unacceptable. No one is above the law."

Brown initially became famous as a teenager in 2005 and has won two Grammys for best R&B album, one for F.A.M.E. in 2011 and another for 11:11 (Deluxe) earlier this year.

He pleaded guilty in 2009 to beating his ex-girlfriend, pop star Rihanna.

He admitted one count of felony assault relating to an incident that occurred hours before they were due to perform at the Grammy Awards.

(c) Sky News 2026: Singer Chris Brown pleads guilty to affray over London nightclub attack