R&B star Chris Brown has been denied bail by a British court over a serious assault charge, leaving the future of his highly anticipated world tour hanging in the balance.
The 36-year-old singer, known for chart-topping hits like “Loyal”, “Run It”, and “Under the Influence”, appeared at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Friday after being arrested at a Manchester hotel earlier in the week.
Brown is accused of carrying out an unprovoked and violent assault at a London nightclub last year.
Prosecutors allege that on February 19, 2023, at Tape nightclub in central London, Brown attacked a music producer named Mr. Diaw.
According to prosecutor Hannah Nicholls, the singer struck the victim multiple times with a bottle before chasing him, continuing to punch and kick him in an incident captured on CCTV.
“This was an unprovoked attack with a weapon in a nightclub full of people,” Nicholls told the court.
Brown, who arrived in court dressed in sweatpants and a black T-shirt with bleached blond hair, spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. He has not yet entered a plea.
District Judge Joanne Hirst ruled that the severity of the charge — causing grievous bodily harm with intent — was too serious to be handled by the magistrates’ court.
The case has been referred to Southwark Crown Court in London, where Brown will next appear on June 13 for a plea and trial preparation hearing. His application for bail was denied.
The timing of these developments casts uncertainty over Brown’s “Breezy Bowl XX” world tour, which was due to kick off on June 8 in the Netherlands. He was also scheduled to perform in Manchester at the Co-op Live Arena on June 15.
Neither Brown’s tour manager nor his record label has issued a public comment on the situation.
Ahead of the court proceedings, Adele Kelly, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London North, issued a reminder to the public: “The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary, or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
