Chris Brown pleads not guilty in London nightclub assault case
June 20 (UPI) -- R&B singer Chris Brown pleaded not guilty Friday to assault charges related to an act of violence at a London nightclub.
Brown entered the plea at Southwark Crown Court in London, and the judge then adjourned the arraignment, which moves the next step of the case to July before a trial set for October of 2026.
Brown allegedly attacked music producer Abraham Diaw in February of 2023 with a bottle of tequila at Tape nightclub in London. He was arrested in May on charges related to the incident of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and was then held in custody for almost a week before being released on $6.7 million bail.
Co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, who performs under the name HoodyBaby, also pleaded not guilty Friday at the court to a charge of attempted grievous bodily harm in the same case.
Under conditions of his bail, Brown must reside in the United Kingdom until his trial, and had his passport confiscated by police. The bail conditions do allow him to tour and perform, meaning he can have his passport for travel to shows.
The Grammy Award-winning musician is currently taking part in his Breezy Bowl XX world tour and performed Sunday night in the British city of Manchester, at which he reportedly acknowledged fans for their support before also thanking the jail where he was held.
"It was really nice," he told the crowd of his time in custody.
Brown is next scheduled to perform at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
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