Chris Brown went to extraordinary lengths to hide his face as he returned to perform in Manchester on Sunday, a month after being arrested in the city over an alleged nightclub bottle attack.
The rapper, 36, who was released on £5M bail, was shielded by staff behind a large white board while leaving the five star Lowry Hotel where he was detained by police in the early hours of May 15.
Chris cut a low key figure in a graphic T-shirt and beanie hat as well as diamond earrings as he kept dry beneath an umbrella just hours ahead of his show at the nearby Co-Op Live Arena.
The hitmaker was was charged with causing grievous bodily harm to music producer Abe Diaw during the alleged assault at the Tape club in Mayfair in February 2023 and is due in court in Manchester on Friday.
Shortly after Chris was released on remand from prison last month, he posted a story to Instagram to tell his 144million followers: ‘From the cage to the stage!!!’, adding the word Breezybowl – the name of his tour.
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Chris Brown, 36, hid his face as he returned to perform in Manchester on Sunday, a month after being arrested in the city over an alleged nightclub bottle attack
The rapper, who was released on £5M bail, was shielded by staff behind a large white board while leaving the five star Lowry Hotel where he was detained in the early hours of May 15
The hitmaker was was charged with causing grievous bodily harm to music producer Abe Diaw during the alleged assault at the Tape club in Mayfair in February 2023
His passport was held by lawyers and police until he needed it in an arrangement that will allow him to fulfil tour dates in Europe, the US and Canada, a court heard.
The conditions of his bail mean that he must reside at an address in the UK and can only access his passport when he needed to travel for a tour date, Heidi Stonecliffe KC, prosecuting, said.
Stonecliffe told Southwark Crown Court his passport would be held by the police until his international dates, then it would be collected by a solicitor from law firm Hickman & Rose, before being returned to Chris so he can travel to the US.
‘The passport is to then be lodged with a US lawyer named Mr Matthew Cayman. We have checked his details and he does exist,’ Ms Stonecliffe said.
‘It will be held by Mr Cayman until August. Then Mr Brown travels to Canada. It will be held by Mr Cayman during his US tour then Mr Brown returns to the UK and his passport will then be held by a solicitor.
‘What we then propose is that we have a further case management hearing on October 24.’
Other bail conditions include not to attend the Tape nightclub or contact his co-accused, Dallas rapper Omolulu Akinlolu, 38, the complainant or any witnesses.
Before agreeing to the conditions, judge Tony Baumgartner said he needed some more information about Chris’s net worth.
Chris cut a low key figure ahead of his show at the nearby Co-Op Live Arena (pictured on satge in May)
‘The one concern I have is the defendant leaving the jurisdiction then returning to the jurisdiction,’ he said.
‘What I don’t have is any feel for the defendant’s net worth and how the security stands against that.
‘It might be a lot of money to him or not a lot of money to him.’
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Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC, said that during a break in proceedings she had been ‘waking up a lot of people across the west coast of America’ to establish Brown’s net worth.
Brown is claimed to have injured music producer Mr Diaw in an unprovoked attack when the singer and his entourage were at a club night called ‘Dirty Martini’.
The producer previously alleged Chris hit him over the head with a bottle two or three times and then punched and kicked him as he lay on the floor.
Prosecutor Hannah Nicholls previously told Manchester Magistrates’ Court the incident was an ‘extremely serious’ attack that was caught on CCTV.
She said Mr Diaw was ‘struck with a bottle several times’ and ‘punched and kicked repeatedly’.
Before the latest hearing, Adele Kelly, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said: ‘We have authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Chris Brown with one count of grievous bodily harm, contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
‘The alleged incident occurred in London on February 19, 2023. He will have his first court appearance on Friday, May 16 at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.
Shortly after Chris was released from prison on remand last month, he posted an Instagram story to tell his 144million followers: ‘From the cage to the stage!!!’
The American superstar has been released on a £5million police bail, meaning he will be able to go on his international tour
‘The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.
‘It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.’
Before the charge was made, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: ‘A 36-year-old man was arrested at a hotel in Manchester shortly after 2am on Thursday, May 15 on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
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‘He has been taken into custody where he remains. The arrest relates to an incident at a venue in Hanover Square on February 19, 2023.
‘The investigation is being led by detectives from the Central West Area Basic Command Unit.’
It was initially understood that the arrest had been made by the Metropolitan Police.
But a Greater Manchester Police spokesperson clarified: ‘This morning (Thursday) we arrested a 36-year-old man at a hotel in Manchester on suspicion of grievous bodily harm on behalf of the Metropolitan Police.’
Chris rose to fame at a young age with his rich R&B voice and later rap, and was also known for having a relationship with fellow music star Rihanna.
He released his debut album Chris Brown in 2005 and has since released a further ten studio albums and 64 singles.
Some of his biggest hits have included Run It!, Yo (Excuse Me Miss) and No Air, a collaboration with Jordin Sparks.
Chris will next appear in court on June 20, alongside American co-defendant, Akinlolu.
A case management hearing has been set for October 24.