Chris Brown Seeks New Trial And Toss Of $12.9M Dog Attack Verdict

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Singer Chris Brown filed a legal notice in Los Angeles on Friday, August 1, 2026, requesting that a judge toss a $12.9 million verdict and grant a new trial in a high-profile civil lawsuit. The filing was submitted by Brown's legal team in Los Angeles Superior Court following a judgment entered on July 16, 2026. The underlying civil case stems from an incident on December 12, 2020, at Brown's residence in Tarzana, California. According to court records, Brown's 200-pound Caucasian shepherd named Hades attacked his housekeeper, Maria Avila, while she was emptying trash on the property. Avila sustained severe injuries to her arm and face that required dozens of sutures and skin grafts, leaving her with permanent nerve damage that affected her ability to work. Earlier in July 2026, a Los Angeles jury found Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, legally liable for the attack and ordered them to pay $12.9 million in damages to Avila. In the newly filed motion, Brown’s attorneys argued multiple grounds for a retrial. The legal team cited procedural irregularities that allegedly prevented a fair trial, claims of jury misconduct, an absence of supporting findings, and what they characterized as an excessive award of damages granted to the plaintiff.