Chris Brown freed on £5m bail by London court
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Chris Brown granted £5m bail in London over nightclub assault charge, allowed to continue world tour.
US singer Chris Brown has been released on bail by a London court after being charged with grievous bodily harm over an alleged unprovoked attack at a nightclub in 2023. The Grammy-winning artist was granted bail under strict conditions, allowing him to proceed with his upcoming international tour.
Brown, 36, had been in custody since his arrest in Salford last Thursday. Authorities allege he assaulted a music producer with a tequila bottle at Tape, an exclusive nightclub in Mayfair, London. He was formally charged last week and initially denied bail on Friday.
During a bail hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, the judge ordered Brown to pay a hefty £5 million security fee to ensure compliance with court conditions. He was instructed to pay £4 million immediately, with the remaining £1 million due within seven days. Failure to meet any of these conditions could result in forfeiting the full amount.
The security fee acts as a financial guarantee that the defendant will return for future court appearances and abide by all bail terms.
Brown did not attend the court session in person. However, shortly after the hearing, he posted to Instagram, writing: “From the cage to the stage!”—a nod to his release just weeks before launching his highly anticipated world tour.
The artist, known for chart-topping hits like Loyal, Run It, and Under the Influence, is scheduled to begin the tour on 8 June in Amsterdam. He is expected to perform in several major European cities, including Manchester, London, Cardiff, Birmingham, and Glasgow throughout June and July.
Despite the legal proceedings, the tour will go ahead, thanks to bail conditions that permit international travel strictly for performance purposes. Brown must surrender his passport when not on tour and is prohibited from applying for new travel documents.
Additional bail conditions include residing at an address provided to the court, avoiding all contact with the alleged victim, staying away from the Tape nightclub, and refraining from any further international travel outside of scheduled tour dates.
The court also announced that Brown’s next appearance is scheduled for 20 June—between performances at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium and London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Brown will be joined in court by his co-defendant, 38-year-old Omololu Akinlolu, an American artist known by his stage name HoodyBaby. Like Brown, Akinlolu is also accused in the case and faces similar charges.
This is not Brown’s first encounter with legal trouble. Despite his significant success in the music industry, his career has often been overshadowed by past controversies and criminal charges. However, his loyal fan base and consistent chart performance have helped him remain one of the most prominent figures in contemporary R&B.
The allegations have cast a shadow over his tour, but the artist appears determined to push forward. Legal experts suggest that while bail conditions are strict, the court’s willingness to allow travel for professional reasons demonstrates a level of judicial flexibility in cases involving international artists.
For now, all eyes are on the upcoming court date in June, where further details surrounding the alleged assault are expected to emerge.
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