Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to an assault charge in London after he allegedly attacked a fellow club-goer with a bottle in 2023.
The 36-year-old American star — currently on tour in Europe — is accused of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to music producer Abraham Diaw just hours after performing to thousands at a venue in Cardiff, Wales. Prosecutors call the attack “unprovoked.”
The BBC reported on Friday that Brown, 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 others and will attend a further plea hearing date for those on July 11. Brown faces trial on Oct. 26, 2026.
The singer arrived at court wearing a blue suit and black-rimmed glasses. Fans flanked the courthouse to show their support. After taking the dock, the BBC also said, Brown smiled and winked to a woman in the courtroom while waiting for Judge Baumgartner to arrive.
His 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 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 was ordered to surrender his passport to police. However, he has been permitted to honor set tour dates and retrieve his passport when travelling 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. “Thank you to the jail,” he also said about his stay in custody. “It was really nice.”