Maria Avila, a former housekeeper for Chris Brown, took the stand this week in her $90 million lawsuit against the singer, describing a horrific dog attack that she said left her fearing for her life. Avila testified that she was attacked by a large dog while taking out the trash at Brown’s Los Angeles mansion in December 2020.
“I thought I was going to die,” Avila told the jury, recounting the moment the dog had her in its jaws. She testified that she had only worked at Brown’s home four times and was unaware that dogs were present on the property before the attack.
Avila described the attack in graphic detail. “First he attacked this part of my face, and then he grabbed my arm, and he dragged me,” she testified. “He bit a part of my arm, and he dragged me some distance, but I don’t know the distance”.
The housekeeper said the dog eventually released her, leaving her in the driveway covered in blood and suffering from “very strong pain”. She said she needed surgery to repair her face, arm, and legs, telling the jury, “My face was disfigured. I didn’t want to see any mirrors”.
Avila testified that she saw Brown after the attack, but he left after 911 was called . She claimed he did not comfort her. Brown previously testified that he did not call 911 personally because he feared the call would leak, so he let his team make the call instead.
The singer has denied full responsibility for the attack. Brown testified that the dog in question belonged to his head of security, though he acknowledged it stayed on his property as a guard dog. He claims he warned Avila about going outside and that the dog had lived at the home for six to eight months before the incident.
Brown’s legal team has argued that Avila provoked the dog, causing the attack . However, the singer conceded through a lawyer that Avila was indeed brutalized by the dog, for which he now accepts partial responsibility.
Avila’s lawsuit seeks $90 million in damages for permanent disfigurement, nerve damage, vision loss, and emotional trauma. She claims Brown “fled the scene” while she lay bleeding in the driveway.
The case has been marked by legal drama. A mistrial was declared on June 16 after a juror violated court rules by searching the internet for information about the case and sharing it with others. Judge Huey P. Cotton dismissed the jury, and a new trial was ordered to begin.
Avila’s sister, Patricia, who was present during the attack, has also filed a negligence complaint consolidated with Avila’s filing.
