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Chris Brown‘s legal team have broken their silence regarding the flurry of eight-figure lawsuits he’s been hit with stemming from an alleged beatdown that he ordered at his behest.
The singer’s attorney, Levi McCathern, recently released a statement claiming that the alleged victims in the pending lawsuits, one for $50 million and another for $15 million, fabricated their accounts of the alleged assault. McCathern also deemed both lawsuits as simply being a “setup” for a cash grab by the plaintiffs, who he also says were the actual aggressors in the supposed confrontation.
“Why were these individuals even backstage anywhere near Chris’ dressing room?” McCathern asked in a statement obtained by TMZ. “Their sole purpose was to provoke him and his team, and to build a record for a lawsuit.”
Chris Brown attends a Maxim Hot 100 Event celebrating Teyana Taylor, hosted by MADE special, at The Highlight Room on July 13, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Amy Sussman/Getty Images
McCathern continued by suggesting that the plaintiffs were in the wrong and were violating Brown’s privacy, while also refuting their claim that Brown was the first to swing. “Most of us are not pop stars, so the only place we have to dress is our home, our personal space,” the attorney said.
“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.”
According to McCathern, one of the plaintiffs also works as a personal injury attorney and allegely approached Brown with the “clear agenda” of provoking him. “Chris was unjustly targeted in this incident. These individuals saw him as an opportunity for financial gain and should never have been permitted backstage in the first place. The whole episode was clearly a setup.”
R&B singer Chris Brown appears in court for a probation progress hearing on February 3, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Brown has been on probation since pleading guilty to assaulting his then girlfriend, singer Rihanna, after a pre-Grammy Awards party in 2009. He has been in anger management treatment program and performing community service requirements but failure to meet probation requirements could be even further complicated by assault charges he and bodyguard Christopher Hollosy face stemming from an incident outside the W hotel in Washington D.C. last October. David McNew/Getty Images
Brown was recently hit with a pair of lawsuits stemming from an alleged brawl that was sparked during a meet-and-greet session with fans following a concert in Texas. In the first lawsuit, filed by Charles Bush, Larry Parker, Joseph Lewis, and Da Marcus Powell, the group claims that the crooner, Texas rapper Yella Beezy, and several members of his entourage viciously attacked them backstage following his 11:11 tour stop at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX. The plaintiffs are asking for $50 million in damages.
A security guard, who says he was pummeled and kicked while attempting to break up the fracas, is also suing the singer for $15 million, as he reportedly suffered a cracked vertebra in his neck and a severely injured hip during the incident.