London (AFP) – American R&B singer Chris Brown, the former boyfriend of superstar Rihanna, is due to appear in a UK court on Friday after being arrested and charged over an alleged assault at a London nightclub in 2023, police said.
Brown, 36, is known for mid-2000s hits such as “Kiss, Kiss” and a litany of legal troubles including a felony conviction for assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009.
He was arrested again in the early hours of Thursday at a hotel in Manchester, the Metropolitan Police said.
The singer, who has faced criminal accusations including sexual assault and domestic violence, remains in custody and will appear in court in the northwestern city at 10:00 am (0900 GMT) on Friday, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
Brown was charged with “grievous bodily harm with intent” in relation to “an assault, which reportedly took place at a venue in Hanover Square in London” on February 19, 2023, the statement said.
Brown allegedly attacked music producer Abe Diaw with a bottle at Tape nightclub in London’s exclusive Mayfair district, The Sun daily reported.
The singer, who began his career in the 2000s and has sold tens of millions of records worldwide, was touring the UK at the time.
Brown reportedly flew into Manchester airport by private jet on Wednesday afternoon.
He is due to embark on a world tour next month, including several scheduled dates in the UK in June and July.
Police detained Brown early Thursday at the five-star Lowry Hotel in Manchester, according to media reports.
History of violence
The two-time Grammy winner rose to fame at a young age with his rich R&B voice and later rap, but his reputation was later tarnished by allegations of domestic violence and other abuse.
He was convicted of having beaten Rihanna before the 2009 Grammy Awards, forcing the pop star to miss the annual gala.
In 2012, Brown was involved in an altercation at a New York nightclub with members of hip hop star Drake’s entourage, during which French basketball star Tony Parker suffered an eye injury after being hit by a thrown glass bottle.
Two years later, he pleaded guilty to assaulting a fan in Washington.
Brown, who rose from a local church choir in Virginia to sudden fame, was also arrested in 2016 after a woman alleged that he pointed a gun at her.
Earlier that year, another woman accused him of battery in Las Vegas.
He also was previously accused of raping a woman in a luxury Paris hotel. He denied the claim and was not charged.
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