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Chris Brown is suing Warner Bros. and the producers of Investigation Discovery's controversial documentary for defamation.
On Tuesday, January 21, the multifaceted artist took to Instagram and posted a letter from his attorneys Levi G. McCathern II and Evan Selik of McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans. In the letter, the attorneys confirm Brown filed a lawsuit against Ample, LLC, Warner Bros and the producers of Chris Brown: A History of Violence. Brown's lawyers accused i-D of airing the program last October even after they were informed about the "false and misleading narrative" surrounding "baseless" allegations of sexual assault and evidence tampering.
"In doing so, they sensationalized debunked claims to drive viewership and revenue, recklessly damaging Mr. Brown's reputation and spreading false information to the public," the letter reads. "To be clear, Mr. Brown has never been found at fault for any type of sexual crime."
Brown's legal team argued the documentary was centered around the testimony of "Jane Doe." They said her false allegations against the R&B singer were discredited in court, and accused her of being "a documented perpetrator of domestic violence with a history of violence that includes physical assault and threats of violence against her romantic partner."
"This case is about protecting the truth," Levi McCathern said. "Despite being provided with evidence disproving their claims, the producer of this documentary intentionally promoted false and defamatory information, knowingly disregarding their ethical obligations as journalists. Their actions undermine not only Mr. Brown's decade-long efforts to rebuild his life but also the credibility of true survivors of violence."
Chris Brown has previously taken responsibility for his past violent incidents including the assault on his ex-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009. His attorneys pointed to his 2017 documentary Chris Brown: Welcome To My Life as his definitive account of his growth since then. Brown is seeking $500 million in damages. He plans to donate a portion of the payment to survivors of sexual abuse.