American R&B superstar Chris Brown has been granted permission to return to the United States on bail after being charged in the United Kingdom over an alleged unprovoked attack on a music producer at a London nightclub.
The 36-year-old singer, alongside his co-defendant, Dallas-based rapper Omololu Akinlolu, appeared before Southwark Crown Court on Monday, where both men denied charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to producer Abraham Diaw.
Brown is also facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon, while Akinlolu faces a separate assault charge.
According to prosecutors, the incident occurred on February 19, 2023, at the Tape Club in London’s Mayfair district. Brown allegedly struck Diaw multiple times on the head with a tequila bottle, before chasing, kicking, and punching him — all captured on CCTV footage.
The singer was later arrested at the Lowry Hotel in Salford in May after arriving in the UK on a private jet.
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During Monday’s hearing, Judge Tony Baumgartner approved a variation of Brown’s bail conditions, allowing him and Akinlolu to return to the United States under what he described as “very stringent” terms.
“You will have to come back to the UK when you are required to do so and surrender to bail in accordance with your obligations,” the judge warned.
Prosecutor Heide Stonecliffe KC clarified that the decision was made under “unusual circumstances” and should not be seen as the defendants being allowed to “return to the US unfettered.”
Brown’s bail conditions reportedly include a £5 million security payment, surrendering his passport, and restrictions on contacting the alleged victim or his co-defendant.
Their trial is scheduled for October 26, 2026, with a case management hearing set for January 28, 2026, Daily Mail reports. If he breaches his bail terms, the court warned, he could forfeit his security payment.
