Chris Brown ordered to pay $13 million to housekeeper injured in 2020 dog attack

A California jury found the singer liable for negligence after his former housekeeper suffered life-changing injuries in a 2020 dog attack.

A California jury has ordered singer Chris Brown to pay nearly $13 million in damages to a former housekeeper who was seriously injured in the dog attack at his Los Angeles home in 2020, concluding a years-long legal battle over the incident.

According to RollingStone, the jury found Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, liable for negligence, awarding housekeeper Maria Avila $12.9 million in damages. Her sister, Patricia Avila, who witnessed the attack, was awarded $885,000 for emotional distress. Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, received $50,000 for loss of consortium, citing the impact the injuries had on their marriage.

The attack occurred on Dec. 12, 2020, at Brown’s Tarzana residence, where Maria Avila was working. During the two-week trial, she testified that she suffered severe injuries to her arm and face after being mauled by Hades, a large Caucasian Shepherd security dog. She said the incident left her with permanent scarring, nerve damage and post-traumatic stress disorder. “I will never be the same again,” Avila told jurors during her testimony.

Avila described undergoing multiple surgeries, including skin grafts taken from her abdomen to repair her injured arm. She also testified that the physical and psychological effects have prevented her from returning to work as a housekeeper, noting that many of her former clients owned dogs and that she now fears being around them. Her daughter, Yoseline Espinoza, also testified, recalling the emergency call she received from her aunt during the attack. She said she feared her mother would not survive.

Brown testified that he heard the dog growling before finding Avila injured outside his home. He said he secured the dog, instructed his security guard to call for help and confirmed Avila was breathing. Brown acknowledged that he did not personally call 911 or remain at the property until paramedics arrived, telling jurors he left because he was concerned media attention would create what he described as a misleading narrative surrounding the incident.

During cross-examination, Brown said he followed advice to leave the property due to his celebrity status and later returned after being told it was safe to do so. Before the trial, Brown admitted negligence under California’s dog-bite law but disputed the extent of Avila’s injuries and argued that she shared responsibility by going outside without an escort. Avila denied Brown’s claim that she had been warned about the dog or instructed not to go outside alone.

Following the verdict, attorneys representing the Avila family said the decision provided accountability after more than five years of litigation.

“No verdict can restore what was taken from our client or erase the trauma she has endured,” attorney Nancy Doumanian said in a statement. “But today’s decision acknowledges the magnitude of her losses and provides meaningful accountability.”