American R&B artist Chris Brown has initiated a $500 million lawsuit against Warner Bros., accusing the media giant of defamation and emotional distress following the release of the docuseries Chris Brown: A History of Violence. The lawsuit, filed on January 21 in California’s Superior Court for Los Angeles County, also names the production company Ample and the documentary’s producers as co-defendants.
The October 2024 docuseries, aired on Investigation Discovery, portrayed Brown as a “serial rapist and sexual abuser,” featuring multiple women recounting alleged encounters with the artist. Brown, 35, has vehemently denied the allegations through his legal team, calling the project “a calculated smear campaign.”
The filing claims the documentary contains “lies and deception” that disregard journalistic integrity. Brown’s attorneys argue the documentary has harmed his career and reputation, particularly by spotlighting allegations from a woman identified as Jane Doe. According to the lawsuit, Doe accused Brown of raping her in 2020 but was previously “discredited” in a separate legal case.
In January 2022, Doe filed a lawsuit alleging that Brown sexually assaulted her on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ yacht in Miami. However, the case was dismissed in August 2022 after text messages emerged, allegedly showing Doe’s dishonesty. The lawsuit also includes screenshots of a restraining order filed against Doe by her boyfriend in 2021, claiming she physically assaulted him and engaged in online harassment.
Brown’s legal team argues that the documentary ignored these details, further stating, “Defendants persisted in releasing this documentary despite being provided with evidence disproving their claims.”
The lawsuit acknowledges Brown’s 2009 conviction for assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna but emphasizes his efforts to rebuild his life over the past decade. “Mr. Brown has grown from those experiences, and his evolution speaks for itself,” the filing states, criticizing the documentary for “ignoring that growth” and instead “repackaging stale accusations.”
The singer’s legal team claims the documentary’s release has caused significant damage to his career and business prospects. Brown is seeking $500 million in damages and a jury trial, citing defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and unauthorized use of his name and likeness for promotional purposes.
Levi McCathern, Brown’s attorney, condemned the documentary’s producers, saying, “Their actions undermine not only Mr. Brown’s decade-long efforts to rebuild his life but also the credibility of true survivors of violence.”
Warner Bros. has yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit. Meanwhile, the case highlights the ongoing tension between media outlets’ investigative reporting and the ethical obligations to verify allegations before publication.