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The singer takes issue with an accuser stating in the documentary that he raped her, as well as his portrayal that he has a “predisposition for punching women in the face.”
By Winston Cho
Warner Bros. Discovery‘s Chris Brown: A History of Violence has sparked a defamation lawsuit from the singer, who says the documentary features false sexual assault allegations against him.
In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Brown alleges the documentary’s producers knowingly included discredited claims of sexual assault and evidence tampering from an unreliable accuser. He seeks at least $500 million, a portion of which he says will be donated to survivors of sexual abuse.
The documentary, released in October, explores accusations of domestic violence and sexual assault against the singer. Central to its narrative is a Jane Doe, who in 2022 sued Brown for sexual assault and battery for allegedly raping her at Sean Combs’ Miami Beach-based yacht. The lawsuit was later dismissed “without prejudice,” meaning it can be refiled.
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Brown alleges the accuser fabricated her claims, which he says the documentary’s producers should’ve known when it was revealed that law enforcement uncovered text messages that “exposed her dishonesty.” Her “history of violence and erratic behavior should have raised red flags for any responsible journalist,” claims the lawsuit, which cites a domestic violence restraining order against the Jane Doe.
The lawsuit targets statements from the accuser that he “raped” her. He also takes issue with this portrayal that he has a “predisposition for punching women in the face.”
Brown says that he notified the documentary’s producers that the film contained false claims but that they didn’t make necessary revisions. “Their actions exhibit actual malice, as they prioritized profit over facts, ignoring publicly available court records and other credible evidence,” the complaint states, referring to the legal standard requiring public figures to prove that allegedly defamatory statements were made with prior knowledge that what was said is false, or were made with reckless indifference to the truth.
In the lawsuit, the singer cites his self-produced 2017 documentary Chris Brown: Welcome To My Life, which follows his life and career while nodding to his assault in 2009 of then-girlfriend Rihanna.
“I went from being on top of the world, number one songs, being kind of like America’s sweetheart, to being public enemy number one,” he said in the documentary.
WBD didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit, which also names producers Ample, Scaachi Koul, Sharon Carpenter, Michelle Taylor and Cheryl Dorsey.
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