Chris Brown’s Tour Earnings Intercepted Over Unpaid $13M Ex-Housekeeper Lawsuit

Chris Brown (American singer-songwriter and dancer)

LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has ruled that R&B singer Chris Brown must direct a portion of his touring revenue and music royalties to his former housekeeper, Maria Avila, to satisfy an unpaid $13 million civil judgment.

According to court filings initially reported by TMZ, the judge granted Avila’s motion for an assignment order despite formal objections from Brown’s defense counsel. The court's decision allows Avila to collect proceeds from Brown’s current nationwide stadium trek alongside Usher, as well as associated music royalty streams, until the multi-million-dollar liability is fulfilled. It remains unconfirmed whether Brown's legal team intends to seek a judicial reconsideration or pursue an appeal.

The ruling stems from a 2020 incident at Brown’s residence in Tarzana, California, where Avila was mauled by the singer’s 200-pound Caucasian Shepherd, Hades, while performing her duties. The attack resulted in severe physical trauma, including deep facial lacerations, structural nerve damage, and extensive scarring that required complex surgical intervention and abdominal skin grafts.

Following a two-week civil trial earlier this year, a Los Angeles jury found Brown and his corporate entity, Black Pyramid LLC, liable for negligence. The court awarded Avila nearly $12.9 million in compensatory damages for pain, suffering, and ongoing medical costs. Additional damages were awarded to her immediate family, including $885,000 to her sister—who witnessed the incident—and $50,000 to her husband.

While Brown admitted to ownership of the guard dog and acknowledged partial negligence, he denied deliberate wrongdoing, testifying that he had previously warned staff regarding the animal's volatile nature—a claim the plaintiffs strongly disputed during proceedings. With the execution of the judicial assignment order, court-sanctioned collections will proceed directly against incoming tour proceeds.