Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minutePC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11In deposition excerpts reported by Rolling Stone on October 22, 2025, Chris Brown said he heard a dog growling, found housekeeper Maria Avila face down, checked that she was breathing, put the dogs away and called for his security guard. Avila’s account differed. In June 2026, a civil jury found Brown liable; subsequent reporting says Avila accepted a reduced damages award of $9.5 million.
What Chris Brown said in his deposition
The incident took place at Brown’s Tarzana home on December 12, 2020. Rolling Stone reported excerpts from Brown’s April deposition in the civil lawsuit. Brown testified that he heard Hades growling, went downstairs and found Avila face down. He said he checked her breathing, secured the dogs and called for his security guard.
“I didn’t touch her. I bent down and I looked. I was – I was making sure she was breathing and then from there, I ran and put the dogs away and yelled and told the security guard to come over,” Brown testified under oath, according to Rolling Stone.
Asked how he knew Avila was breathing, Brown said, “I could see her chest moving.” He said he did not speak to her because she was “out.” Brown also testified that his manager told him to leave once help was coming.
On leaving, Rolling Stone quoted Brown as saying: “I’m not bad – I’m not feeling bad about leaving the house, more concerned about – about her, making sure she was okay.” These are excerpts of Brown’s deposition as reported by Rolling Stone, not a complete transcript or an independent reconstruction of the incident.
How Avila’s account differed
Avila’s lawsuit said she was taking out trash when a large dog attacked, causing severe injuries to her face and arm. The lawsuit alleged that Brown came outside, stood over her while on a phone, and then left as she lay bleeding. In her October 2023 deposition, Avila said the dog pounced without warning and described injuries to her face, hand and foot.
Avila said she did not see Brown take the dog away and disputed his claim that she had been told not to go outside without permission. She also said she heard a car leave. These statements are allegations and testimony attributed to Avila, rather than a finding about each disputed detail.
What the accounts say about the aftermath
Brown’s reported account was that he found Avila face down, checked that she was breathing, called for security and left on his manager’s advice. Avila’s account, as reported by Rolling Stone, described a severely injured person left at the scene. The accounts differ over what Brown saw and did, whether he spoke to Avila, who contacted emergency help and why he left. The deposition excerpts do not settle all of those disputes.
Recommended Free Tools
Brown said he initially did not see blood, then thought he saw some and did not want to look closely. He testified that he was not involved in the decision to remove Hades from the property before law enforcement arrived or in a security guard taking the dog to Humboldt County and leaving it there. Rolling Stone reported Brown’s testimony that Hades belonged to his head of security and was at the home as a deterrent to stalkers or home invaders.
What happened in the lawsuit
The case later proceeded to trial, beyond the schedule described in Rolling Stone’s October 2025 report. The Los Angeles Times reported that a civil jury found Brown liable after a two-week trial in June 2026. The verdict establishes liability; it does not make every disputed detail in either party’s account an independently established fact.
The Times reported these initial damages awards:
| Recipient | Initial award | Later reported status |
|---|---|---|
| Maria Avila | $12.9 million, as reported by the Los Angeles Times after the June 2026 verdict. | On September 30, 2026, the Times reported that Judge Huey P. Cotton conditionally reduced the award to $9.5 million unless Avila chose a new damages trial. El País reported on October 2, 2026, that Avila accepted the reduction. |
| Patricia Avila | $885,000, as reported by the Los Angeles Times after the June 2026 verdict. | The Times reported that the award remained intact after the judge’s ruling. |
| Maria Avila’s husband | $50,000, as reported by the Los Angeles Times after the June 2026 verdict. | The cited reports do not state a later change to this award. |
The Times quoted Judge Cotton’s order describing Maria Avila’s jury award as “excessive.” El País’s October 2 account of her acceptance cited an acceptance notice from her lawyer and Rolling Stone reporting.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Key dates in the dog attack case
- December 12, 2020: Reported date of the attack at Brown’s Tarzana home.
- April 2021: Patricia Avila filed suit against Brown and Black Pyramid Co., according to the Los Angeles Times. The complaint alleged premises liability, negligent infliction of emotional distress and strict liability.
- October 22, 2025: Rolling Stone published excerpts of Brown’s deposition. Its article said trial was then scheduled for February 2026; later trial and verdict reporting superseded that timetable.
- June 2026: A civil jury found Brown liable, according to the Los Angeles Times.
- September 30 and October 2, 2026: The Los Angeles Times reported the conditional reduction of Maria Avila’s award; El País later reported that she accepted it.
Sources and what they establish
The accounts and case updates here come from news reports, not the full deposition transcript, complaint, jury instructions or final court docket. Rolling Stone’s October 2025 article reports deposition excerpts and the parties’ differing accounts. The Los Angeles Times reports the jury’s liability finding and damages rulings; El País reports Avila’s acceptance of the reduced award. The excerpts should not be read as a complete account of the incident, and the reported damages figures are specific to this case.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
