Los Angeles [US], July 26 (ANI): Singer Chris Brown pleaded guilty to an affray charge at Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday, three years after he was accused of attacking music producer Abraham Diaw at a nightclub in the city, according to The New York Times.

Brown, 37, entered the plea in connection with the February 2023 incident at Tape London nightclub. His vocal coach, Omololu Akinlolu, 40, who was also accused of taking part in the attack, pleaded guilty to the same charge.

Brown had earlier faced a more serious charge of attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm. His trial was due to begin in October, but he has now pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of affray, which involves threatening or using violence and carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

According to prosecutors, Brown approached Diaw on the dance floor during the night and hit him twice on the head with a glass bottle. Akinlolu, an American rapper who performs as HoodyBaby, then joined Brown and punched Diaw in the head, prosecutors said.

The prosecution said the attack continued, and Diaw was later taken to hospital with injuries to his head and knee.

Prosecutor Claire Campbell described the incident as a serious attack in a statement, saying, 'This was a vicious and unprovoked attack by Brown and Akinlolu.'

Following the incident, police issued arrest warrants for Brown and Akinlolu after the two had left Britain. Brown returned to the UK in 2025 for a concert in Manchester, where he was arrested.

The singer had pleaded not guilty to the charges in June 2025. He was later granted bail after posting Pound 5 million, or around $6.7 million, which allowed him to travel outside Britain and continue his world tour.

Brown arrived at Southwark Crown Court on Friday wearing a tan suit and a St Louis Cardinals baseball cap. A group of fans gathered outside the court and showed their support for the singer by playing his music, shouting his name and holding signs, according to the BBC. Brown also signed autographs as he left the court.

Brown and Akinlolu are due to be sentenced in October.

Brown rose to fame in the mid-2000s after releasing his debut single in 2005. The Grammy-winning R&B singer has since won two Grammys and earned 17 Billboard top 10 hits.

His career has also been marked by several legal cases. These include his 2016 arrest after a standoff with police at his Los Angeles home, a 2013 case involving an alleged assault outside a Washington hotel and the 2009 assault of his former girlfriend Rihanna. (ANI)