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Chris Brown's $13 million judgment payment for his former housekeeper could be significantly reduced following a new court ruling.
According to a report Billboard published Tuesday, September 29, Los Angeles County Judge Huey P. Cotton ruled in favor of Brown's recent motion for a new trial over the multimillion-dollar judgment another judge awarded the artist's ex-employee, Maria Avila. Avila sued Brown after his 200-pound dog, Hades, attacked her while she was working on his property in 2020. After Brown was found liable, the judge overseeing the trial ordered the singer to pay Avila $12.9 million. Although he agreed with the verdict, Judge Cotton believes the amount was excessive.
“The court finds that the jury’s award to Maria Avila is excessive,” Judge Cotton wrote in his ruling. “The court elects to issue a conditional order granting a new trial, as to Maria Avila only, on the issue of damages, unless Plaintiff consents to a reduction of the jury’s damages to $9.5 million.”
After the attack, Avila sustained severe injuries that left her face permanently disfigured and caused loss of vision. She sued Brown in 2021 and faced him at a trial in June. During the trial, Avila's attorneys argued that the dog bit off “large chunks of her skin" and caused scarring, vision loss, and nerve damage. While he agreed that Avila should be compensated for her pain and suffering, Judge Cotton believed there was "insufficient evidence of extensive permanent nerve damage.”
Even if Avila chooses to walk away with $9.5 million, the judge ruled that the $855,000 Avila's sister was awarded will remain intact. Avila's sister was also working at Brown's property on the day of the attack.
If he does get a new trial, Brown will have to agree to a date that works with his tour schedule. He's currently traveling with Usher for their "R&B Tour." A portion of the proceeds from the show will go toward paying Avila's judgment.