Entertainment

Singer Chris Brown Accused of Battery in Las Vegas

Published

11 years ago

May 5, 2015

In this Jan. 15, 2015 file photo, R&B singer Chris Brown appears in Los Angeles Superior Court in Los Angeles. Brown faces another battery accusation just days after he performed in Las Vegas over the weekend. Las Vegas police said Monday, May 4, 2015, that Brown is suspected of beating a man who was found hospitalized earlier in the day. (AP Photo/Lucy Nicholson, Pool, File)

SALLY HO, Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Singer Chris Brown faces another battery accusation just days after he performed at an after-party to the weekend’s much hyped boxing match, which was also billed as the kickoff to his residency at the Drai’s nightclub.

Las Vegas police said Brown, 25, is suspected of beating a man who was found at the Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center at 3:42 a.m. Monday.

The man said he was playing basketball at the Palms Casino Resort when he got into a verbal argument on the court with the singer. He claimed Brown punched him and, as he was preparing to defend himself, another person with the singer also hit him.

The man took himself to the hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries and released.

Las Vegas police said they went to the hotel after they were called to the hospital but didn’t locate Brown.

Authorities say they have given Brown the option to sign off on a misdemeanor battery citation or have the case turned over to the Clark County District Attorney’s office. As of 2 p.m., police said Brown has not responded.

Officer Larry Hadfield said signing off on the citation is not an admission of guilt but an acknowledgement of the accusation. Similar to accepting a traffic ticket, the accused would be given a court date in Clark County Justice Court scheduled for months from now.

Police said the investigation continues but declined to address the other person with Brown who also allegedly hit the man.

“We haven’t cited anybody. We have not had the opportunity,” Hatfield said.

The incident happened at the Palms Casino Resort, which features a basketball-themed luxury suite for $25,000 per night, officials said.

The 10,000-square-foot Hardwood Suite features an indoor basketball court, locker room with a gym shower, “NBA-sized” beds and 24-hour butler, according to the hotel.

A hotel spokesman deferred all other comment to police.

On Saturday, Brown performed a sold-out show at Drai’s nightclub atop the Cromwell Hotel as after-party entertainment to the much anticipated boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. He also attended the fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

At his show, Brown reportedly commanded $100 and $200 cover charges with table reservations with bottle-service ranging in price from a $2,000 minimum for a small four-seater as far away from the stage as it can go, to at least $20,000 for a table in the middle of the action.

The full-length concert was also billed as the launch to Brown’s new residency at Drai’s. His next show in the series of concerts is scheduled for July 4, according to an announcement.

The statement sent Sunday also said Brown is expected to celebrate his birthday at the venue’s night time pool party on Tuesday.

The troubled R&B singer was freed from probation for felony assault just six weeks ago. In 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to a brutal attack on his then-girlfriend, the singer Rihanna, hours before the Grammy Awards.

Brown’s legal woes have since been in the spotlight.

His probation was revoked briefly, in January for performing in Northern California without permission and in 2013 for a fender bender filed as a hit-and-run case. He was also charged that same year with misdemeanor assault in Washington.

In February, Canadian immigration officials also refused to allow him into the country, forcing him to cancel two shows, and British officials blocked his entry in 2010 forcing the cancellation of four performances.

Brown’s attorney and publicist could not immediately be reached for comment.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Inside the New Royalty Split for ‘Uptown Funk’: Who Gets Paid What

Don't Miss

Singer Chris Brown Accused of Battery in Las Vegas

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

8 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.