Chris Brown Slaps Warner Bros. Discovery With $500M Defamation Suit Over Sexual Assault Claims In “Sensationalized” Docuseries
Chris Brown may like Donald Trump, but the ‘Weakest Link’ singer really doesn’t like Warner Bros. Discovery.
Asserting that the company and producers of the Investigation Discovery docuseries Chris Brown: A History of Violence ignored facts that didn’t fit their narrative and holding him to past sins, Brown is suing WBD and others for $500 million in a defamation filing today
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“To put it simply, this case is about the media putting their own profits over the truth,” the jury trial seeking complaint in in Los Angeles Superior Court exclaims. “Since the beginning of October of 2024, Ample LLC and Warner Brothers were put on notice that they were promoting and publishing false information in their pursuit of likes, clicks, downloads and dollars and to the detriment of Chris Brown,” it adds. Ultimately, on October 27, 2024, they aired Chris Brown: A History of Violence (the ‘Documentary’), knowing that it was full of lies and deception and violating basic journalist principles.”
“They did so after being provided proof that their information was false, and their storytelling ‘Jane Doe’ had not only been discredited over and over but was in fact a perpetrator of intimate partner violence and aggressor herself,” the document from Santa Monica’s McCathern firm went on to say of the incident that supposedly happened on a yacht of the much accused Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2020. “Mr. Brown has never been found guilty of any sex related crime (rape, sexual battery, sexual assault, etc.) but this documentary states in every available fashion that he is a serial rapist and sexual abuser.”
Long tainted in the eyes of many for his assault of then girlfriend Rihanna just before the 2009 Grammys, Brown’s suit Tuesday does skirt over the long litany of punching people, lovers and managers that Chris Brown: A History of Violence details.
Tuesday’s lawsuit also sidesteps Rihanna’s later revelations that Brown hit her on numerous other occasions during their relationship. It ignores a 2018 sexual assault case against the touring and album releasing Brown that was settled with a payout, but does center in on a 2022 sexual assault and battery legal action by Jane Doe (who Brown and his attorneys name in their suit) that was fairly quickly tossed out.
“Despite this, the Documentary’s producers portrayed (redacted) as credible, ignoring her established lack of veracity,” Brown’s suit says. Warner Bros. Discovery did not respond to request for comment on Brown’s complaint when contacted by Deadline, If they do, we will update this post.
Intending to donate “a portion” of that $500 million in damages to “survivors of sexual abuse,” if Brown wins the case, the performer’s main lawyer had some words for WBD and the other defendants out of court.
“This case is about protecting the truth,” said attorney Levi McCathern, echoing the lawsuit somewhat. “Despite being provided with evidence disproving their claims, the producers of this documentary intentionally promoted false and defamatory information, knowingly disregarding their ethical obligations as journalists. Their actions undermine not only Mr. Brown’s decade-long efforts to rebuild his life but also the credibility of true survivors of violence.”
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