Chris Brown walked into London's Southwark Crown Court on Friday wearing a tan suit, gold-rimmed sunglasses and a St. Louis Cardinals cap, and walked out having pleaded guilty to affray, a public order offense in the UK for using or threatening unlawful violence in a public place. The hearing lasted less than five minutes.
He signed autographs for fans outside the courthouse. He faces up to three years in prison when he returns for sentencing on October 26.
The incident goes back to February 19, 2023, when Brown and his vocal coach Omololu "Hoody Baby" Akinlolu were filmed on surveillance cameras at the Tape nightclub in London's Mayfair neighborhood during a confrontation with music producer Abraham Diaw.
Prosecutors described it as a "vicious and unprovoked attack" in which Brown struck Diaw over the head with a bottle twice.
Brown fled the UK after the incident and was arrested in Manchester in May 2025 when he returned. He had been free on a £5 million bail since then.
In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors dropped the more serious charges, assault, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon. Akinlolu also pleaded guilty to affray.
Both were released on bail Friday. "This kind of violence is entirely unacceptable," Crown Prosecution Service senior prosecutor Claire Campbell said after the hearing. "No one is above the law."