Musician Chris Brown is reportedly suing a film studio over a documentary released last year that contained allegations of sexual assault.
The documentary, titled "Chris Brown: A History of Violence," was released by Warner Bros in October and featured claims from an anonymous dancer who accused him of raping her on a yacht in 2020.
In a statement, Brown's lawyers denounced the film as "defamatory," labeling the claims as "baseless" and "sensationalized," while accusing Warner Bros of recklessly tarnishing his reputation.
Apart from Warner Bros, the lawsuit also implicates the production company Ample. Both entities remained unresponsive to requests for comment when approached by BBC Newsbeat.
Brown's legal team specifies that he is pursuing $500 million (£405 million) in damages, following the filing of the complaint in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
The statement further notes that his lawyers previously alerted the producers that the accusations, including allegations of evidence tampering, were "misleading" and "discredited." Nonetheless, Warner Bros chose to release the documentary, disregarding Mr. Brown's rights and focusing on profit ahead of journalistic ethics.
The dancer, identified as Jane Doe in legal proceedings and the documentary, first made accusations against Brown in 2022, seeking $20 million (£14.9 million) in damages. She claimed he drugged and assaulted her during a yacht party at property owned by Sean 'Diddy' Combs in Miami, Florida. However, the lawsuit was reportedly dismissed by a judge.
In addition to Jane Doe's allegations, the documentary explored other incidences involving Brown, such as an alleged assault on a woman in 2021, a rape investigation in Paris in 2019 (where he was released without charge), and his guilty plea in 2009 for assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna.
Brown's legal representatives emphasize that he has "never been held liable for any sexual offenses" and criticize the producers for undermining not only his efforts to rehabilitate his image over the past decade but also the credibility of genuine survivors of violence.
Chris Brown has stated that he plans to donate a portion of any awarded damages to support survivors of sexual violence.