A Los Angeles jury has found the American singer Chris Brown liable for negligence and ordered him to pay $12.9 million in damages to his former housekeeper, Maria Avila, following a 2020 dog attack at his Tarzana, California, residence. The verdict, delivered after a two-week civil trial, also requires Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, to pay $885,000 to Avila’s sister Patricia and $50,000 to her husband Oscar Olivo, according to court records cited by US media. The jury determined that Brown failed to prevent the attack by a 200-pound Caucasian shepherd named Hades, which Avila said was kept for security purposes.

During the trial, Avila testified through a Spanish interpreter that the dog ripped off large sections of skin, leaving her face and left arm permanently scarred and requiring multiple surgeries, including skin grafts from her abdomen. She told the court she suffers from post-traumatic stress, reduced mobility, and a loss of sensation that prevents her from returning to work as a housekeeper. Her daughter, Yoseline Espinoza, described a lasting psychological change, stating that Avila no longer wants to appear in public or have her face seen. Medical evidence presented to the jury detailed permanent facial disfigurement, vision loss, and nerve damage.

Brown, who testified as the first witness, maintained that the dog was not a personal pet but was acquired by his security team to guard against what he described as frequent stalker-type situations. He claimed he had warned Avila and her sister not to go outside unless security personnel were present because the dogs were not friendly. Both women denied receiving such a warning, and their legal representatives argued that language barriers made the alleged conversation unlikely. Brown acknowledged some responsibility before the trial but disputed the extent of the injuries and argued that Avila bore partial fault. He told the jury that after discovering Avila covered in blood, he left the property on his manager’s advice to avoid a media spectacle, rather than calling emergency services himself.

Viewed from Los Angeles, the civil verdict adds a significant financial liability to Brown’s legal record. Legal analysts in the United States note that the jury’s award reflects both compensatory damages for physical and emotional harm and a finding that the singer’s negligence was a proximate cause of the attack. The case proceeded amid other legal proceedings: Brown is currently on tour with the singer Usher and is scheduled to face trial in London in October over an alleged 2023 nightclub assault on a music producer, in which he has pleaded not guilty to charges of causing bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon. Representatives for Brown have not commented on the dog attack verdict, while the Avila family’s lawyer welcomed the outcome as justice after more than five years of litigation.