After 5 years of legal wrangling, Chris Brown’s former housekeeper has been awarded $12.9m in damages by a jury in Van Nuys, CA after suing for serious harm to her arms and face caused by the disgraced R&B star’s 140lb Caucasian shepherd dog Hades.

The housekeeper, Maria Avila, and her sister Patricia were both at Brown’s home when the mauling occurred in the garden, leaving Maria needing around 80 stitches to the face and skin graft surgery, as well as ongoing post-traumatic stress disorder and reduced mobility in her arm due to nerve damage.

Brown was also home during the attack but left before the ambulance, called by a security guard, arrived at the property, saying he wanted to avoid a media circus because of his status. According to reports, Brown admitted some degree of negligence but claimed that he had warned the sisters not to go outside without asking him first – a conversation they said never actually happened. Brown also attempted to downplay Avila’s injuries but the jury ultimately sided with the housekeeper. Maria’s sister and husband were also awarded damages for emotional distress totaling almost $1m.

The judgment comes just a few days after Brown's co-headlining The R&B Tour with Usher kicked off in Denver, CO.

Brown’s legal troubles will continue later this year when he goes on trial in the UK for assault charges after he and rapper HoodyBaby allegedly attacked music producer Abraham Diaw at a members’ club in London back in 2023. Both men have pleaded not guilty.