Chris Brown
Mistrial Declared In $90 Million Dog Attack Lawsuit
Published
Chris Brown showed up to court to defend himself against his former housekeeper’s claims she was viciously mauled at his L.A. home … but the case was declared a mistrial shortly after it started … TMZ has learned.
The trial started Monday after a jury was selected in the lawsuit brought by Maria Avila, the housekeeper who said she suffered emotional and physical injuries after a large dog attacked her while taking out the trash at Chris’ home.
But shortly after the proceedings started, the judge declared a mistrial and excused everyone from the courtroom. Rolling Stone reported the decision was due to a juror searching for information about the case before the trial started and also sharing it with others.
On the way out, the musician appeared in a good mood while speaking to our photog.
Chris was asked about the mistrial and said, “It happens.”
The singer also addressed a question about Maria seeking $90 million in damages from him … telling us, “That’s crazy.”
Chris didn’t seem too worried about the status of the case, telling his fans to get ready for his upcoming co-headlining tour with Usher.
As we told you … Maria filed a lawsuit claiming she was cleaning Chris’ house in 2020 when one of his dogs attacked her … allegedly ripping off tons of skin from her arms and inflicting damage to her face and neck.
Chris denied all wrongdoing, claiming Maria is responsible for any alleged injuries … and the two exchanged a series of legal filings in the run-up to the trial.
CB successfully convinced a judge to bar any references to his 2009 domestic violence incident involving Rihanna … while Maria pushed hard to introduce photos of the injuries she says she suffered in the dog attack.
Breezy’s security guard claimed he paid Maria and her family five figures after the incident … between $30K and $40K, he said during a deposition.
Now, the trial is over before it even really began.