Chris Brown was sued by four concertgoers in Texas over allegations that the singer and his entourage assaulted them backstage after his show in Fort Worth over the weekend.
The suit, filed in Harris County District Court on Monday and obtained by Rolling Stone, accuses Brown and three of his entourage members of assaulting plaintiffs Larry Parker, Joseph Lewis, Charles Bush, and DaMarcus Powell after the four were invited to Brown’s VIP area after his Dickies Arena concert, alongside about 40 women. Aside from Brown, Sinko Seej, Omololu Akinlolu (AKA Hood Boss), and Markies Conway (AKA Yella Beezy) are named as defendants.
The specific causes of action listed in the complaint are assault and battery, negligence/gross negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The plaintiffs are seeking $50 million in damages, and they’ve also requested a temporary restraining order against the defendants.
A rep for Brown did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment.
“This case arises from a violent assault perpetuated by a troubled recording artist with a checkered past,” the suit says. “Without justifiable provocation, performer Christopher Maurice Brown (“Chris Brown”), and his paid entourage, brutally and severely beat Plaintiffs Larry Parker, Joseph Lewis, Charles Bush, and Da Marcus Powell. Chris Brown has a long history of violence. The Plaintiffs herein are the latest in a long line of individuals who have suffered at Brown’s hands.”
Live Nation, the promoter for the show, was also listed as a defendant in the suit. Citing Brown’s purported history of violence, the suit claims the promotion and ticketing giant “shamelessly profits and promotes Brown’s The 11:11 Tour and brought Brown to Texas for financial gain.”
The company was accused of failing to “insure that the participates of the concert who may be around Brown, and his associates, were safe,” per the suit. (A rep for Live Nation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)
The plaintiffs are being represented by Tony Buzbee, a prominent attorney who’s previously represented victims of the Astroworld Crowd Rush, as well as many of the women who’d accused NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault.
“We will try this case in the courtroom, not the press,” Buzbee told Rolling Stone in a statement. “We will aggressively pursue justice in this case.”
According to the suit, after the plaintiffs were invited backstage, Bush had approached Brown to shake his hand and congratulate him on the show, telling Brown it had been a while since they’d seen each other. Seej had allegedly spoken up to remind the singer that Brown and Bush were “beefing,” and Brown subsequently told his crew to “fuck Plaintiff Bush up,” the suit says.
Bush and the other three plaintiffs quickly tried to leave, but Brown and “seven to 10” of his entourage members followed them, the suit claims. One of Brown’s entourage allegedly punched Bush in the chest, the complaint states, and “Hood Boss” allegedly threw a chair at his head.
Brown then told the crew to “fuck plaintiff Parker up” too, and Parker tried to run down a nearby stairwell but was trapped by a lock door at the bottom, per the filing.
“Upon instruction by Brown, Parker was then punched in the face and chest, kicked in the head for over ten minutes, and stomped on by Defendant Brown and his associates,” the suit says. “Brown encouraged his companions to join in the assault simultaneously. Brown and his entourage then continued to beat Plaintiff Parker closed fisted for almost minutes [sic], repeatedly stomping on Defendant Parker’s head, kicking his face and ribs, and causing severe bodily injury.”
Powell, the third plaintiff, was allegedly punched in the shoulder, while Lewis was punched in the shoulder and chest. All four of the plaintiffs are undergoing medical treatment, the suit claims.
This is far from the first time Brown has been accused of acts of extreme violence. He pled guilty of assaulting Rihanna in 2009, with the lawsuit stating Brown had “pulverized Rihanna’s face and put her in the hospital.” Since then, he’d been accused of more than 20 additional cases of misconduct including sexual assaults, rape, and physical assaults. Despite over a decade of controversy, Brown remains one of the most popular artists in the business, evidenced by his ongoing arena tour and strong streaming numbers.
From Rolling Stone US
