Chris Brown pleaded guilty to affray Thursday at Southwark Crown Court in London, nearly three years after a violent attack at a Mayfair nightclub that left a victim hospitalized with injuries to his head and knees.
According to Variety, Brown and his co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, a Florida rapper and vocal coach who performs under the name HoodyBaby, attacked a man at Tape London in February 2023. Brown struck the victim twice on the head with a glass bottle. Akinlolu punched him.
The UK's Crown Prosecution Service described the attack in stark terms. "They continued their assault whilst the victim attempted to flee through the club," the CPS said in a statement. "The victim was kicked while he was seated defenceless on the floor."
After the incident, both men left the United Kingdom before a warrant could be served. Brown was not arrested until May 2025, when he returned to the UK to perform in Manchester as part of a world tour.
Claire Campbell, a senior prosecutor at CPS London South, spoke after the guilty pleas were entered. "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," Campbell said. "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."
Charges of assault, grievous bodily harm, and possession of an offensive weapon were also filed against the pair. Both denied those charges, and prosecutors subsequently dropped them. The BBC reported that the hearing itself took less than five minutes.
Deadline reported that fans gathered outside the court during the proceedings. One was heard shouting "I love you Chris" as Brown walked past. ITV News reported that fans held signs outside the court as well.
Brown, 37, has a prior criminal record in the United States. He previously served time in Los Angeles after violating his probation, which stemmed from his 2009 guilty plea to felony assault of his then-girlfriend Rihanna, a case that drew widespread international attention.
Both Brown and Akinlolu are scheduled to be sentenced in October.
