A judge dismissed Chris Brown’s $500 million lawsuit over Investigation Discovery’s documentary, ruling it met journalistic standards.
A judge has dismissed Chris Brown‘s $500 million defamation lawsuit against Warner Bros Discovery and Investigation Discovery over their 2024 documentary Chris Brown: A History of Violence.
Judge Colin Leis ruled that the network presented both sides of the story in a balanced manner when covering domestic and sexual abuse allegations against the R&B singer. The court order rejected Brown’s claims that the documentary was “full of lies and deception.”
The lawsuit centered on the documentary’s focus on a woman who alleged Chris Brown raped her on a yacht owned by Diddy in 2020. Brown insisted these claims were false and pointed to inconsistencies in the woman’s account, her violent past, and concealed text messages after she reported the incident to Miami police.
But Judge Leis said Investigation Discovery met journalistic standards in its reporting.
“The court has personally viewed the entire documentary,” the judge wrote. “The documentary recites most of the inconsistencies plaintiff notes, including the existence of the text messages.”
The judge added that media defendants “presented a ‘fair and true’ report of statements and the judicial record and proceedings.”
Chris Brown also claimed the network defamed him by including an interview where culture writer Scaachi Koul said the singer had a “predisposition for punching women in the face.”
Judge Leis dismissed this complaint, noting that Chris Brown “has admitted to punching the singer Rihanna.”
The dismissal comes as Brown faces separate legal troubles in the United Kingdom.
He pleaded not guilty in June 2025 to charges stemming from an alleged assault at Tape London nightclub in February 2023. Prosecutors accuse Brown of attacking music producer Amadou “Abe” Diaw with a tequila bottle.
Chris Brown was arrested in London in May 2025 and initially denied bail before posting $6.7 million to secure his release. The arrest threatened his Breezy Bowl XX tour, but he was allowed to continue performing after posting bail.
Brown’s friend and collaborator Omololu Akinlolu, who performs as HoodyBaby, was also charged in connection with the 2023 incident and pleaded not guilty during the same hearing.
The singer’s trial in the UK assault case is scheduled to begin on October 26, 2026, with Brown facing charges of attempting to unlawfully cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
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