Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty to U.K. Assault Charge: Details of the Incident and Court Appearance

Chris Brown, the 36-year-old American singer currently on tour in Europe, has pleaded not guilty to an assault charge in London. The incident occurred in 2023 when he allegedly attacked a fellow club-goer with a bottle just hours after performing to thousands at a venue in Cardiff, Wales. Prosecutors have described the attack as "unprovoked." Brown, who is also facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and having an offensive weapon, appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London to deny the first charge. He did not enter a plea for the other charges and will attend a further plea hearing date for those on July 11. The singer is scheduled to stand trial on Oct. 26, 2026. The BBC reported that Brown arrived at court wearing a blue suit and black-rimmed glasses, and fans flanked the courthouse to show their support. While waiting for Judge Baumgartner to arrive, Brown smiled and winked to a woman in the courtroom. Brown's co-defendant, Omolulu Akinlolu, another U.S. singer who performs under the name HoodyBaby, also entered a not guilty plea to the charge of grievous bodily harm. Brown was arrested at a five-star hotel in Manchester last month after arriving in Britain for his Breezy Bowl XX tour. He was held in custody for a week and later released after paying a £5 million ($6.7m) security fee. The controversial star is required to live at a U.K. address while he awaits trial and has been ordered to surrender his passport to police. However, he has been permitted to honor set tour dates and retrieve his passport when traveling the continent for concerts. At one of the U.K. concerts in Manchester on Sunday, Brown thanked his fans for showing up and supporting him, saying "Thank you to the jail" about his stay in custody. "It was really nice," he added. For more on Chris Brown and other entertainment news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and sign up for our newsletter.