Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to affray over an incident in a London nightclub, where he has been accused of striking a man over the head with a glass bottle.
The R&B singer entered the plea at Southwark Crown Court today (July 24), alongside his vocal coach and co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, also known as HoodyBaby, who also admitted affray. Both men will be sentenced at the same court on October 26.
Brown had previously pleaded not guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon – a bottle – in a public place.
Akinlolu had denied charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
During today’s hearing, prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC applied for an additional charge of affray to be added to the indictment, which had been accepted by all parties. Prosecutors said the other charges would no longer proceed to trial.
The case relates to an incident at Tape London nightclub in Hanover Square, Mayfair, in the early hours of February 19, 2023.
The court heard that Brown approached music producer Abraham Diaw from the dancefloor before moving through the crowd and striking him twice over the head with a glass bottle.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service, Akinlolu then joined Brown and punched Diaw in the head. The pair continued the attack as Diaw attempted to flee through the club, and he was later kicked while seated on the floor.
Diaw went to St Mary’s Hospital with head and knee injuries.
Senior prosecutor Claire Campbell said: “This was a vicious and unprovoked attack by Brown and Akinlolu in a crowded nightclub where Brown used a glass bottle as a weapon to strike the victim’s head twice.
“This kind of violence is entirely unacceptable, and the Crown Prosecution Service will work tirelessly – with the police and partners across the criminal justice system – to pursue cases like this, and prove that no one is above the law.”
Detective Constable Zara Ripamonti of the Metropolitan Police added: “This was a disgraceful, unprovoked assault that put a man in hospital.
“There is no place for serious violence like this in London and I’m pleased these men accepted what they did wasn’t just completely unacceptable – but criminal.
“This has been a long investigation and we’ve worked with police colleagues in the UK to bring these two men to justice.”
Brown was arrested in Manchester on May 15, 2025, after returning to the UK ahead of his ‘Breezy Bowl XX’ world tour. Akinlolu was arrested in the city on the same day.
Brown was initially remanded in custody before being released on conditional bail after agreeing to lodge a £5million security with the court, allowing him to continue with the tour.
He later joked about his time in custody during the opening UK show at Manchester’s Co-op Live, telling the crowd: “Thank you for coming and supporting me… And thank you to the jail. It was really nice.”
Brown and Akinlolu have both been granted bail ahead of sentencing. Affray carries a maximum prison sentence of three years, with Judge Tony Baumgartner saying that “all options” would be open to the court.
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