Singer Chris Brown is suing the producers behind Investigation Discovery's Chris Brown: A History of Violence documentary series, alleging the project was full of lies and that he is not a rapist.
The singer accuses Warner Bros. Discovery, Ample, and other individuals behind the series of promoting and publishing defamatory claims against him – after allegedly being provided with "proof" that their narrative was false.
One accuser, identified as Jane Doe, alleges Brown raped her in 2020. The R&B singer's attorneys denied the claims in the documentary.
Brown states the woman at the centre of the documentary series has been repeatedly discredited, but he highlights he has never been found guilty “of any sex related crime”.
He says the series pegged him as "a serial rapist and a sexual abuser." He also claims a lawsuit Jane Doe brought against him, which she later withdrew, was full of lies.
Brown claims the producers and the Jane Doe chose to disregard fact in order to defame him and his reputation, which he says he’s spent over a decade repairing.
He claims he’s taken accountability for his "past mistakes" - including a physical assault on ex-girlfriend Rihanna - and has grown from them and slams ‘A History of Violence’ producers for pushing an old narrative in the name of fame and fortune.
Brown claims he’s been directly impacted as it’s taken a toll on his reputation, career, and business opportunities.
He’s seeking $500 million in damages, which he partly plans to donate to victims of sexual abuse if awarded.
Chris Brown: A History of Violence was released in October and details multiple women's claims against the singer.
Brown, through his attorneys, filed the lawsuit in California's Superior Court for Los Angeles County on Tuesday.
"This case is about the media putting their own profits over the truth," Tuesday's lawsuit claims, adding that the network aired the documentary "knowing that it was full of lies and deception and violating journalistic principles."
The filing alleges that the woman identified as Doe had previously been "discredited" as an alleged "perpetrator of intimate partner violence and aggressor herself."
The lawsuit states that Brown has not ever been convicted of any sex crimes, however, the project paints him as a "serial rapist" and "sexual abuser".
Brown's attorneys claim he has worked hard at "redeeming" his reputation over the past decade. In 2009, he was charged with two felonies — assault and making criminal threats — involving Rihanna.
He pleaded guilty on June 22, 2009, and accepted a plea deal of community labour, five years' probation and domestic violence counselling.
"Mr. Brown has grown from those experiences, and his evolution speaks for itself," the lawsuit continues. "This new production ignores that growth, choosing instead to repackage stale accusations while amplifying them with demonstrable falsehoods."
The filing then addresses Doe, who according to the complaint originally sued Brown in January 2022, alleging he sexually assaulted her on Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ yacht in Miami. She also sued on allegations of battery, intentional and negligent infliction and emotional distress. The case was dismissed in August 2022 after a Miami Beach Police officer discovered text messages sent by Doe "that exposed her dishonesty," Brown's filing claims.
Brown's lawsuit includes alleged screenshots of a restraining order Doe's boyfriend allegedly filed against her in 2021, claiming she physically assaulted him, threatened him with a knife and harassed him online.
"After being put on notice that their documentary contained false claims and violated journalistic professional standards, Defendants persisted in releasing this Documentary," the complaint claimed.
The filing further alleges that the documentary has damaged Brown's career and business opportunities.
"This case is about protecting the truth," Brown's attorney, Levi McCathern said in a release. "Despite being provided with evidence disproving their claims, the producers of this documentary intentionally promoted false and defamatory information, knowingly disregarding their ethical obligations as journalists.
"Their actions undermine not only Mr. Brown's decade-long efforts to rebuild his life but also the credibility of true survivors of violence."
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