Chris Brown Ordered to Pay $13 Million to Housekeeper Attacked by His Guard Dog

A California jury has ruled that singer Chris Brown and his management company must pay approximately $13 million in damages to Maria Avila, his former housekeeper, who was severely injured by his guard dog at his Los Angeles home in December 2020. Avila suffered serious facial and hand injuries, requiring skin grafts and numerous stitches, and now deals with chronic pain, post-traumatic stress, and a fear of dogs. She testified that the attack occurred while she was emptying a vacuum bag in the yard, and that she can no longer work as a cleaner due to her injuries.

Avila's sister, who was present during the attack, will receive about $885,000 for emotional distress, and Avila's husband will be compensated $50,000 for the impact on their marriage. During the trial, which lasted two weeks, Brown admitted to hearing the dog growl and putting it back inside the property, but said he did not call emergency services himself because he feared a media circus due to his celebrity status. He left the scene before paramedics arrived, explaining he wanted to avoid misleading media coverage.

Brown accepted legal responsibility for negligence under California's dog bite law before the trial but disputed the extent of Avila's injuries and argued she was partly responsible for going into the yard alone despite alleged warnings about the dog, which Avila denied receiving. On cross-examination, Brown denied fleeing the scene and said he left on advice to prevent false media reports. Avila tearfully stated in court, "I will never be who I was before."