Chris Brown performs during Chris Brown in Concert at State Farm Arena on July 14, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo / Getty Images
Chris Brown performs during Chris Brown in Concert at State Farm Arena on July 14, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo / Getty Images
Warning: This story mentions rape and sexual assault.
Embattled R&B singer Chris Brown has launched a US$500 million (NZ$880m) lawsuit against Warner Bros Discovery following the release of a documentary he claimed painted him as “a serial rapist”.
Brown, 35, is suing the major media organisation for defamation in response to Chris Brown: A History of Violence, a 2024 documentary that explored a string of allegations against the singer that included violent behaviour and sexual misconduct.
A statement written by Brown’s lawyers and released to his social media accused Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) and several producers of “prioritising profits over journalistic integrity”. They also claimed the corporation had been notified of “the false and misleading narrative” ahead of the documentary’s release late last year.
“They sensationalised debunked claims to drive viewership and revenue, recklessly damaging Mr Brown’s reputation and spreading false information to the public,” the statement read.
“To be clear, Mr Brown has never been found at fault for any type of sexual crime.”
Chris Brown at the Chris Brown live show at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa on December 14, 2024. Photo / Getty Images
The documentary was released by the WBD-owned TV network Investigation Discovery as part of its third annual No Excuse for Abuse campaign in October, which also marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
The 1 hour 22 minute-long project is summarised on IMDb as a biographical film that “delves into the controversial personal life of Chris Brown, an iconic singer, while exploring allegations of domestic violence, assault charges and sexual misconduct.”
An alleged victim of Brown, identified as Jane Doe, was interviewed in the documentary about her purported experiences with the singer, who in February 2009 made global headlines for assaulting then-girlfriend and pop icon Rihanna.
In 2022, the Jane Doe sued Brown for sexual assault and battery after he allegedly raped her on a Miami yacht owned by disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the lawsuit was dismissed “without prejudice” and can be refiled.
In the statement, Brown’s lawyers accused the corporations of amplifying Jane Doe’s “defamatory lies” and claimed the alleged victim “actively pursued” a “consensual” relationship with the singer.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday (US time) in Los Angeles Superior Court, further claimed the Jane Doe had a domestic violence restraining order filed against her and a “history of violence and erratic behavior”.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the suit alleged the producers “[ignored] publicly available court records and other credible evidence”.
A spokesperson for Investigation Discovery said a statement to The Hollywood Reporter that it stands behind the production and “will vigorously defend ourselves against this lawsuit”.
The lawsuit also named producers Ample, Scaachi Koul, Sharon Carpenter, Michelle Taylor and Cheryl Dorsey.
Brown is seeking at least US$500 million (NZ$880m) in compensation - an unspecified percentage of which he said will be donated to survivors of sexual abuse.
The 35-year-old addressed his 2009 assault of Rihanna in the 2017 self-produced documentary, Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life, in which he claimed: “I went from being on top of the world, number one songs, being kind of like America’s sweetheart, to being public enemy number one”.
