Photo Credit: Rihanna at Met Gala 2017 by Danilo Lauria / CC by 3.0
Warner Bros. says Chris Brown has no standing in suing them over their documentary about his violent history, citing his past with Rihanna to prove it.
Rihanna’s very public history with Chris Brown is being cited as evidence against him in his defamation battle with Warner Bros. over their documentary, “Chris Brown: A History of Violence.” The company, which produced the documentary, submitted multiple media reports documenting Brown’s 2009 felony assault on Rihanna—especially his guilty plea and subsequent court-ordered counseling.
According to Warner’s legal team, these stories support their argument that the documentary, over which Brown is suing under claims of defamation, is protected under free speech laws.
“All of these exhibits consist of news articles, or other media, published online about the work at issue in this case and its subject matter, namely the Documentary and the widely publicized reporting of Chris Brown’s criminal history and violence towards women, and are being introduced to demonstrate that the Complaint arises from acts in furtherance of [Warner’s] free speech rights,” they argue.
Warner’s evidence didn’t stop at Rihanna, though hers is by far the most well-known account of Brown’s violence against women. They also submitted press coverage of Brown’s relationship with Karrueche Tran. Tran was granted a five-year restraining order against Brown in 2017. Further, they included reports of a physical altercation with singer Frank Ocean.
Even before submitting the mountains of evidence to support their claim, Warner released a statement in April that comments made in the documentary were protected under free speech. The entertainment giant’s legal team asserted Brown’s claim lacked substance, and any statements made in the documentary were either provably true or not legally harmful.
Chris Brown has denied accusations of sexual misconduct, and rejects claims painting him as a “serial rapist and sexual abuser.” He seeks $500 million in damages in his lawsuit against Warner Bros. and the producers behind the documentary, pledging to donate the funds to survivors of sexual abuse should he win.
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