American singer Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from an alleged bottle attack at a London nightclub in February 2023.
The 36-year-old appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday morning, shortly after performing in Cardiff as part of his Breezy Bowl tour. Dressed in a blue suit and dark sunglasses, Brown denied allegations that he attempted to cause grievous bodily harm to music producer Abraham Diaw.
His co-defendant, U.S. musician Omololu Akinlolu, also known as Hoody Baby, entered the same not guilty plea.
In addition to the attempted GBH charge, Chris Brown also faces two other allegations: assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon. However, he will not enter pleas for those charges until July 11, as the judge has adjourned that part of the arraignment.
A trial date has been set for October 26, 2026.
Brown was arrested on May 15 in Manchester, where he had landed to begin the UK leg of his tour. During his first court appearance, prosecutors alleged that Diaw was struck with a bottle, then punched and kicked multiple times while at Tape nightclub in London.
While performing in Manchester following his release, Chris Brown made light of the situation, telling fans:
“Thank you for coming and supporting me. And thank you to the jail… It was really nice.”
