Published April 30, 2026
Chris Brown is trying to keep his past 2009 assault case involving Rihanna out of a new court case in Los Angeles.
The case is about a lawsuit filed by former housekeeper Maria Avila where she claims that she was seriously injured by a dog at Brown’s home in Tarzana in December 2020.
According to her claim, the attack caused major injuries to her face and arm, led to emergency surgery and left her with long term problems like vision loss and visible damage.
However, the trial is scheduled to begin on June 15.
Brown’s lawyers have asked the court to make sure that the 2009 Rihanna case is not mentioned at all during this trial.
They say that it is from the past and has nothing to do with what is being discussed now.
Avila’s legal team disagrees with this and has pushed back strongly as they say the request goes too far and should not block information that could become important later, especially if the court needs to understand behaviour or check the truth of statements made during the case.
In his testimony, Brown said he found Avila on the ground after hearing his dog, checked if she was breathing, secured the dogs and then left after being told that emergency help was already on the way.
For the unversed, the 2009 case involving Rihanna ended with Brown pleading guilty to felony assault, followed by probation, community service, and counselling.
A hearing before the trial will decide what details can be mentioned in court.