US singer Chris Brown made a surprise appearance in a London court on Friday for a hearing ahead of his trial next year on charges of attacking a music producer with a bottle in a London nightclub, Daily Mail reports.
Chris Brown, 36, earlier this year denied attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm and a less serious charge of assault causing actual bodily harm, over what prosecutors say was an ‘unprovoked attack’.
He is charged with attacking music producer Abraham Diaw at the Tape venue in Hanover Square, Mayfair, on February 19, 2023.
Chris Brown was not required to attend but appeared at London’s Southwark Crown Court on Friday, where he spoke only to confirm his name.
The singer appeared in the dock alongside his co-defendant, Dallas rapper and producer Omololu Akinlolu, 38, who has denied the same charges against him.
The pair’s week trial is due to begin in October 2026.
Chris Brown, a two-time Grammy Award winner known for hits such as ‘Loyal’, ‘Run It’ and ‘Under the Influence’, was arrested at a hotel in Manchester after returning to Britain for the first time since the incident.
He was detained just hours after flying into the UK on a private jet at Lowry Hotel on May 15 by Metropolitan Police detectives.
He was then charged over the alleged assault but was released from HMP Forest Bank in Salford, Greater Manchester, on May 21 on a £5million conditional bail agreement.
The conditions allowed him to leave the UK to begin his ‘Breezy Bowl XX’ tour, which concluded this week.
In May Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard that Mr Diaw was standing at the bar of the popular London venue when he was struck several times with a bottle.
He was then allegedly pursued to a separate area of the nightclub before being punched and kicked repeatedly while he lay on the floor.
Prosecutor Hannah Nicholls previously described the incident as an ‘extremely serious’ attack that was caught on CCTV.
She said Mr Diaw was ‘struck with a bottle several times’ and ‘punched and kicked repeatedly’.
Brown rose to fame at a young age with his rich R&B voice and later rap, and was also known for having a relationship with fellow music star Rihanna.
He released his debut album Chris Brown in 2005 and has since released a further ten studio albums and 64 singles.
Some of his biggest hits have included Run It!, Yo (Excuse Me Miss) and No Air, a collaboration with Jordin Sparks.