Chris Brown Ordered to Pay $13 Million After Housekeeper Mauled by 200-Pound Security Dog

Chris Brown was found liable by a Los Angeles jury on Tuesday for $13 million in damages to his housekeeper after she was mauled by a security dog in 2020.

This verdict comes after a two-week trial, which ended in favor of MariaAvila, the housekeeper whom Brown's 200-pound Caucasian shepherd attacked. The event happened while she was taking out the trash at the singer's Tarzana, California, house.

"I will never be the same again," Avila told jurors on June 24, according to Rolling Stone.

Billboard was the first to report the news. Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, owe $12.9 million in damages to Avila for negligence. Additionally, they owe her sister, PatriciaAvila, $885,000 for emotional distress. Avila's husband, OscarOlivo, was awarded $50,000.

Per Rolling Stone, Avila claimed the attack resulted in severe injuries to her arm and face, scarring, and post-traumatic stress disorder. She explained that she now struggles with nerve damage and chronic sensitivity on her left side, making it difficult to perform daily activities. She doesn't have the arm strength to clean, essentially ending her career as a housekeeper.

Avila's daughter, YoselineEspinoza, testified about the call she got from her aunt, Patricia Avila, after the attack. "She was just freaking out, telling me, ‘Your mom can't breathe. She keeps passing out on me. The ambulance is still not here. Chris Brown fled the scene,'" Espinoza testified. "I did not think she was going to make it."

Brown said that the dog was for security purposes, not a personal pet. He also said that after the attack, he fled the scene, driving around for hours. He testified that after he heard the dog growling outside, he ran out to discover Avila motionless on the ground. He said he locked up the dog, made sure she was still breathing, and called over his security for help. He explained that he did not call 911 because he was afraid a recording would be leaked to the media.

"Because of how my image is and always used. I didn't want a misleading story, or like a circus, from my status. It's pretty sticky when it comes to that. So me staying out of the way was advised," the singer said.

Prior to the trial, Brown admitted negligence under California's dog-bite statute in a court filing. He disputed the severity of Avila's injuries and claimed she was partially at fault since she went outside alone.

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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 7:56 PM.