Chris Brown forced to pay $13 million over Los Angeles dog attack
Chris Brown has been ordered to pay $13 million to his former housekeeper.
Maria Avila sued the singer for intentional infliction of emotional distress and sought punitive damages.
She claimed that she was attacked by his dog on December 12th, 2020, which ripped chunks of flesh and bone out of her face and arm.
According to Rolling Stone, a jury decided that Brown should pay $12.9 million in damages for negligence on June 30th.
Her sister, Patricia Avila, who was working with her at the time, was awarded $885,000 for emotional distress. Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, was also awarded $50,000 for the attack affecting their marriage.
On June 24th, Maria told the courtroom, “I will never be the same again,” after suffering injuries and alleged PTSD.
Avila’s daughter, Yoseline Espinoza, testified about a call she received from Patricia. “She was just freaking out, telling me, ‘Your mom can’t breathe. She keeps passing out on me. The ambulance is still not here. Chris Brown fled the scene,’” she recalled. “I did not think she was going to make it.”
Brown claimed he left the scene before paramedics arrived because of his celebrity status, at his manager’s suggestion.
Avila’s lawyer, Nancy Doumanian, asked, “What would have been the problem with you being there and waiting for paramedics to get there with a woman bleeding in your driveway? Why would that be a problem for you as a celebrity?”
In response, he said, “Because of how my image is and always used. I didn’t want a misleading story, or like a circus, from my status. It’s pretty sticky when it comes to that. So me staying out of the way was advised.”