A Los Angeles jury has ordered singer Chris Brown to pay nearly $13 million in damages to his former housekeeper, Maria Avila, after she was viciously attacked by his 200-pound security dog nearly six years ago.
The verdict, handed down Tuesday following a two-week trial, found Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, liable for negligence. Jurors awarded $12.9 million to Maria, while her sister, Patricia Avila — who was present during the attack — received $885,000 for emotional distress. Maria's husband, Oscar Olivo, was separately awarded $50,000.
The incident took place at Brown's Tarzana, California, house in December 2020. Hades, Chris' enormous Caucasian shepherd, a breed well-known for serving as a guard dog in high-security conditions, unexpectedly attacked Avila when she was outdoors emptying trash.
Maria suffered severe injuries as a result of the attack. Testimony states that the dog ripped away significant portions of her flesh, leaving her permanently disfigured, with scars on her cheek and forehead, vision loss, and nerve damage down her left side. Later, in an effort to restore the damage to her arm, surgeons grafted skin from her abdomen.
Maria, testifying through a Spanish interpreter, described a recovery that has never truly ended. She told jurors the lingering nerve damage and sensitivity make it difficult to sleep or complete ordinary daily tasks, and that she no longer has the arm strength to perform basic housekeeping work like scrubbing floors or wringing out a mop. The trauma of the attack also left her fearful of dogs — a fear that has effectively ended her career, since most of her former clients own pets.
Before the trial began, Brown admitted negligence under California's dog-bite statute, but he disputed the severity of Avila's injuries and argued she bore some responsibility for going outside without a security escort. He testified that he had warned both housekeepers not to venture outside alone — a claim Avila and her sister denied, telling jurors that a language barrier made such a conversation unlikely to have occurred as described.
Brown maintained throughout the trial that Hades belonged to his security team rather than to him personally, telling jurors he deals with frequent stalker threats and keeps the dog for protection. He testified that he rushed outside after hearing the dog growling and found Avila motionless on the ground.
Testimony suggested that rather than calling 911 or staying to help, Brown left the property and drove around for hours, reportedly out of concern that his voice on an emergency call — or his presence when police arrived — would spark a media frenzy. A member of his staff ultimately placed the call for help.
Avila had sought as much as $90 million in damages. The jury's $12.9 million award to her, combined with the additional payouts to her sister and husband, brings the total judgment to nearly $13 million.
Michael C. Murphy Jr., an attorney representing Patricia Avila, said the family was relieved after more than five years of litigation against Brown, calling the outcome a measure of justice for his client and her family following what he described as a horrific ordeal.
Representatives for Chris Brown have not yet issued a public comment on the verdict.
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