Chris Brown, entourage accused of brutally beating North Texas concert-goers in $50 million lawsuit
FORT WORTH — R&B star Chris Brown and his paid entourage brutally beat several men who attended Brown's concert Saturday night in Fort Worth, according to a lawsuit.
Brown performed at the Dickies Arena as part of his 11:11 tour.
After the show, the four plaintiffs and roughly 40 women were invited backstage to Chris Brown's VIP area, an event promoted and marketed by LiveNation, according to the lawsuit filed on behalf of the four plaintiffs by The Buzbee Law Firm.
When they entered the VIP area, Brown told all the women to put their phones on a table, the lawsuit states. Brown and his entourage then left, closed the door and stationed a security guard in front of it.
About 30 minutes later, Brown returned; however, the plaintiffs were ready to leave and moved to exit the lounge area. Just before leaving, Plaintiff One approached Brown to shake his hand and congratulate him on a good show, stating "Good show, it's been a while, but I'm glad to see you are doing well. It's been a long time since I have seen you."
Brown shook the man's hand and replied, "Hey, yeah it has been, and I appreciate it."
A member of Brown's entourage then said loudly to Brown, "Man, you don't remember you two were beefing," court documents state.
Brown then allegedly picked up a liquor cup and responded, "Oh yeah, we were. What's up, n****? I don't forget s***."
The R&B singer then allegedly told his entourage to "f***" the man "up."
Hearing this, Plaintiff One tried to get his friends and leave; however, Brown and approximately seven to 10 members of his entourage followed them into the hallway and began to beat them, the lawsuit alleges.
One member of Brown's entourage, known by the alias Sinko, ran to the left side of the crowd and punched Plaintiff One in the chest, according to the lawsuit. At the same time, another member of Brown's entourage, known as Hood Boss, picked up a chair and threw it at Plaintiff One's head.
Brown then allegedly told Markies Deandre Conway and others to "f***" Plaintiff Two "up."
Being outnumbered, Plaintiff Two said he ran to the staircase and tried to get out at the bottom of the stairs, but the door was locked. He said he was then punched in the face and chest, kicked in the head for over 10 minutes and stomped on by Brown and his entourage.
Brown told the members of his entourage to join in the assault simultaneously, the lawsuit states, and they continued to beat Plaintiff Two closed-fisted for several minutes, repeatedly stomping on his head, kicking his face and ribs, and causing severe bodily injury.
The entourage also assaulted and injured two other plaintiffs. All are undergoing medical treatment.
Attorney Tony Buzbee said multiple police reports have been made and at least one of the men who was beaten remains hospitalized.
"Chris Brown reportedly has a long history of violence and has been arrested or accused of assault on at least ten occasions," Buzbee said in a statement to CBS News Texas. "Enough! The lawsuit The Buzbee Law Firm has filed seeks damages on behalf of the four men brutalized, with the hope of obtaining justice for these victims and putting an end, once and for all, to the intolerable and thuggish behavior set forth in the lawsuit."
Brown, three members of his entourage and LiveNation are named in the suit, which seeks $50 million for compensatory and punitive damages.
The suit says LiveNation failed to ensure that concertgoers who may have been around Brown and his associates were safe.
Brown retained McCathern PLLC and Levi G. McCathern, II as legal counsel for the civil lawsuit.
In a statement, Brown's attorney Levi G. McCathern, II released the following statement on July 31:
"Why were these individuals even backstage anywhere near Chris' dressing room? Their sole purpose was to provoke him and his team, and to build a record for a lawsuit.
Most of us are not pop stars, so the only place we have to dress is our home; our personal space. Imagine what reaction YOU would have if someone invaded YOUR personal space with the singular goal of provoking difficulties? Even in this challenging circumstance, Chris never initiated physical contact with anyone."
The Fort Worth Police Department confirmed it's investigating the reported assaults.