A jury determined on June 30th that Chris Brown and his company Black Pyramid LLC owe $12.9 million in damages to Maria Avila, a housekeeper who was attacked by Hades, a 200-pound Caucasian shepherd dog, at Brown’s Tarzana, California home in 2020. Maria‘s sister Patricia Avila, who was also present during the attack, was awarded $885,000 for emotional distress, with Maria‘s husband Oscar Olivo receiving an additional $50,000.
The attack occurred while Maria was emptying trash outside Brown’s home. Hades, a breed used in Russian prisons for guard duty, ripped off what prosecutors described as “large chunks of her skin,” with Maria sustaining permanent facial disfigurement, scarring, vision loss, and nerve damage as a result of the incident. Maria subsequently filed a lawsuit in 2021, leading to a two-week trial in June 2026.
During trial proceedings, Brown admitted to partial negligence but disputed the severity of Maria‘s injuries and argued she bore some responsibility for the attack. He testified that he had warned both Maria and Patricia that the dogs were “absolutely not” friendly and required security accompaniment. Brown argued that Hades was not his personal pet but rather was purchased and managed by his security team for protection against stalkers and break-ins. “I get a lot of stalker-type situations,” he told the jury.
Michael C. Murphy Jr., the attorney representing Patricia, expressed satisfaction with the verdict. “After more than five years of litigating against Chris Brown, we are thrilled that we were able to get justice for our client, Patricia,” he said. “We are so happy for her and her family after everything they went through on that horrible day.”
Amidst the legal proceedings, Brown is currently touring with Usher on the Raymond & Brown Tour which will see them make stops in major stadiums across North America, and has yet to release a public statement following the verdict.
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With £1m what would you do: I would do my part to provide opportunities to the less fortunate. Then do my best to change the world in my own way through sports and talent building.
