The man who accused Chris Brown of assaulting him inside a London nightclub scored a small victory in his $16 million lawsuit, Radar reports.
In documents obtained by Radar, the judge agreed with the alleged victim, Amadou “Abe” Diaw, that his claims against a tour promoter should not be dismissed.
This comes after the tour promoter filed a motion to strike some of Diaw’s allegations, in which he claimed they ignored Brown’s controversial past and fostered an environment where the “violent performer was sure to cause harm.”
While the tour promoter said they shouldn’t be on the hook for any alleged action by Chris Brown, Judge Mark H. Epstein didn’t see it that way.
While Judge Epstein admitted, “the case is thin,” he insisted that Diaw made a good enough argument for it to move forward.
“The court is inclined to DENY the motion,” the latest documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday read.
“The allegations of malice and oppression are adequately alleged for pleading purposes. Specifically, plaintiff alleges that Live Nation was aware of Brown’s tendencies and that he had assaulted people in the past. The Tour was called the ‘Under the Influence’ Tour allegedly to promote substance abuse, which plaintiff states contributed to Brown’s violent behavior,” the paperwork continued.
“The combination of the tour’s name and the alleged knowledge of prior behavior by Brown while on tour is enough for pleading, although the court recognizes that the case is thin. The court believes that the matter is better tested on summary judgment than at the pleading stage.”
Diaw sued for $16 million claiming Chris Brown smashed a bottle of Don Julio 1942 over his head at TAPE nightclub in England in 2023.
He accused the Weakest Link rapper of continuing to pound him with “crushing blows” until allegedly knocking him unconscious. He claimed Brown stomped on his body while he was out cold.
Diaw said he was taken to hospital for his alleged injuries, which reportedly included cuts to his head and torn ligaments to his leg. Brown’s alleged victim trashed his tour promoter after they tried to dodge responsibility. He argued the singer’s history of “violent attacks” is well-documented, reminding the court that his past has prevented him from entering several countries.
He also argued that the tour promoter ignored the “red flags” and “proceeded with organizing the tour,” further claiming that the company added “fuel to the fire by naming the tour the ‘Under the Influence’ Tour, a headline that inspires the consumption of alcohol and narcotics.”
Diaw said, “It comes as no surprise that one evening following a performance, while under the influence at a London night club, Chris Brown brutally attacked Plaintiff (with a bottle of tequila). Thus, despite knowing about Brown’s Prior Misconduct and propensity for violence, Live Nation sought to empower his bad-boy persona by assigning the tour a nefarious title, rather than minimize these threats to the public (i.e., assigning security to Brown, limiting his social engagements, etc.)”
The case is ongoing.