NEED TO KNOW
- Chris Brown was arrested in Manchester, England on May 15, The UK Sun claims
- Police say they arrested a man “on suspicion of grievous bodily harm,” stemming from an alleged incident where he attacked a man in 2023
- The arrest comes ahead of Brown’s upcoming Breezy Bowl tour
Chris Brown has been arrested, according to The UK Sun.
The 36-year-old musician was arrested by the Metropolitan Police in Manchester, England in the early hours of Thursday, May 15, the outlet reports.
“A 36-year-old man was arrested at a hotel in Manchester shortly after 02:00hrs on Thursday, 15 May on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. He has been taken into custody where he remains,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.
They continued, noting, “The arrest relates to an incident at a venue in Hanover Square on [Feb. 19, 2023]. The investigation is being led by detectives from the Central West Area Basic Command Unit.’’
According to British law, a suspect cannot be named upon their arrest to ensure that they receive a fair trial.
Brown was sued by producer Abe Diaw in November 2023 over an alleged assault that took place at TAPE nightclub in February of that year. The club is located on Hanover Square.
In the lawsuit, which was examined by PEOPLE, the producer accused Brown of “beating” him and said that he suffered “crushing blows” to the head, which left him unconscious. He reportedly used a bottle of Don Julio 1942 tequila for the alleged attack.
Diaw alleged that Brown “continued to ruthlessly stomp” on him for “30 seconds.”
The producer “ended up in the hospital with lacerations on his head and torn ligaments in his leg,” and he was left with “permanent” damage and “severe emotional distress,” per the lawsuit.
Brown’s tour promoter previously filed a motion to strike part of Diaw’s allegations, Radar Online reported. The motion was denied in April 2024.
The Mirror was the first organization to report on Brown’s arrest. He was reportedly apprehended at The Lowry Hotel shortly after arriving in the country via private jet.
The Metropolitan Police are based in London but reportedly traveled to Manchester for the arrest after they were tipped off that he was in the country.
Brown is currently set to embark on his Breezy Bowl tour in celebration of 20 years of his career. The show was scheduled to kick off with a sold-out performance in Amsterdam on June 8.
He had a pair of concerts scheduled for Manchester on June 15 and 16. After stops across Europe, the tour has dates across the United States starting in Miami on July 30.
PEOPLE reached out to Brown’s team for a comment but has not heard back at the time of publication.
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The musician has a history of being involved in brawls and legal problems stemming back to 2009 when he was arrested for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Rihanna. He pleaded guilty to felony assault that year.
He has allegedly clashed with other celebrities over the years, including Frank Ocean in 2013 and Usher in 2023.
In October 2024, he was accused of raping a woman while on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ yacht in a documentary titled Chris Brown: A History of Violence.
Brown sued Warner Bros. in January 2025 over the documentary, claiming that he was falsely labeled an abuser. He is seeking $500 million in damages.
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