Chris Brown just got a major break in his legal battle with his former housekeeper over a 2020 dog attack — but the $12.9 million jury award isn’t automatically going away.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted Brown’s request for a new trial on damages, but only if Maria Avila does not agree to reduce her award from $12.9 million to $9.5 million.
The judge found there was insufficient evidence supporting the jury’s findings regarding permanent nerve damage and the amount assigned to Avila’s future pain and suffering.
That means Avila now faces a choice: accept the reduced $9.5 million award or proceed toward a new trial on damages.
Avila sued Brown after claiming she was attacked by one of his dogs while taking out the trash at his Tarzana home in 2020.
Brown denied wrongdoing, but after a trial in which both he and Avila testified, a jury awarded her $12.9 million in damages.
Brown subsequently challenged the verdict and argued he deserved a new trial, including over the admission of evidence concerning his past arrests and the 2009 assault involving Rihanna.
The latest ruling specifically addresses the amount of damages rather than wiping out the underlying case entirely.
Avila has also been pursuing ways to collect the judgment. TMZ previously reported that she sought a portion of Brown’s tour proceeds from concerts with Usher to satisfy the multimillion-dollar award.
For Brown, the ruling could substantially reduce his financial exposure if Avila accepts the judge’s $9.5 million figure.
If she does not, the case could head back to trial for another determination of damages.
