'I Thought I Was Going to Die': Chris Brown Faces $13M Verdict After Housekeeper Mauled by Dog

Chris Brown has been ordered to pay nearly $13 million (£9.7 million) in damages after a jury ruled in favour of a housekeeper who suffered life-changing injuries in a brutal dog attack at one of the singer's California homes.

The verdict concludes a legal battle that began after Maria Avila was attacked by Brown's Caucasian shepherd, Hades, while working at his Tarzana property in 2020. The R&B star admitted negligence during the trial but disputed the extent of her injuries and maintained that she had been warned about the dangerous guard dog.

Housekeeper Described a Horrific Attack

Speaking in court, Avila recalled the terrifying moment the dog attacked her while she was taking out the rubbish.

'I thought I was going to die,' she told jurors, describing how the animal first bit her face before grabbing her arm and dragging her across the driveway.

Avila said she had only worked at Brown's home four times and insisted nobody had warned her that guard dogs were on the property. She testified that she never saw or heard Hades before the attack began.

The injuries left her requiring dozens of stitches, skin grafts using tissue taken from her abdomen and multiple surgeries to repair damage to her face, arm and legs.

'My face was disfigured. I didn't want to see any mirrors,' she told the court.

Jury Awards Nearly $13 Million

After hearing weeks of testimony, jurors awarded Avila $12.9 million in damages.

According to reports, her sister Patricia Avila, who witnessed the aftermath of the attack, was also awarded $885,000 (£667,400) for emotional distress, while Maria's husband, Oscar Olivo, received $50,000 (£37,700).

Michael C. Murphy Jr., Patricia's attorney, welcomed the outcome, saying the family had finally received justice after more than five years of litigation.

Brown Says He Left to Avoid a 'Media Circus'

Brown admitted he was at home when the attack happened and said he immediately secured the dog in its kennel.

He told the court that although he did not personally call emergency services, a member of his security team contacted an ambulance. Brown explained that he left the property before paramedics arrived because he wanted to avoid creating 'a media circus' due to his celebrity status.

The singer argued that Hades was kept as a guard dog because he frequently deals with stalkers and claimed he had warned both Maria and Patricia Avila not to go outside without first checking with him. The sisters denied that any such warning was ever given.

Latest Legal Blow for the Singer

The dog attack case adds to Brown's long history of legal troubles.

In 2009, he pleaded guilty to assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna and later violated the terms of his probation. He has also faced multiple civil lawsuits over alleged assaults and other incidents in recent years.

Brown is currently awaiting trial in the UK over allegations that he seriously assaulted music producer Abraham Diaw at a private members' club in London's Mayfair. The singer has pleaded not guilty, with proceedings scheduled to begin in October.

Despite his continued success as one of America's biggest R&B artists, the latest verdict marks another costly chapter in a legal record that has repeatedly overshadowed his music career.