Chris Brown arrived in Manchester on a private flight last week, only to end up in handcuffs and behind bars. The news sent his fans into a frenzy as many questioned the status of his ‘Breezy Bowl’ tour. Concern skyrocketed when a judge remanded him into custody until his next court hearing on June 13. Less than a week later, the court reconsidered and allowed him to go free with the pending charge.
According to CNN, Judge Tony Baumgartner granted Chris Brown’s bail request on Wednesday (May 21). He has not yet entered a guilty plea for the charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm. When the judge gave the update, the 36-year-old was reportedly absent from the Southwark Crown Court.
For context, the singer’s arrest happened at around 2 a.m. local time on Thursday, hours after he had landed in the city. It was the first time he had returned to Britain since the alleged attack. On May 16, he appeared in the Manchester Magistrates’ Court, where the judge ruled his charge was “too serious” and escalated the case to London’s Southwark Crown Court. Prosecutor Hannah Nicholls argued that Brown and others were captured on CCTV footage attacking a man inside a packed nightclub called Tape in 2023.
His lawyer, Grace Forbes, reassured the court that Brown was not a flight risk. But he still received a hard NO to bail during that first court hearing. He reportedly remained expressionless during the hearing while wearing Black Nike tracksuit pants and a black tee. AP reports that Chris only spoke to confirm his name and birthdate and give his Lowry Hotel address—the same location of his arrest in Manchester.
Breezy has yet to address fans following the bail update in the case. So, it’s unclear if processing for release is completed or how long it will take. He and his team also remained silent while fans gagged over his remand into custody. The June 13 court date would’ve been three days into his ‘Breezy Bowl’ tour. With granted bail, it seems Chris Brown might be able to kick off his 20th anniversary tour on June 8 in Amsterdam, as planned. However, we must note that it’s unclear if any tour schedule changes have been made behind the scenes.
The singer is also scheduled to perform in the city where he was arrested, Manchester, on June 15. His ‘Breezy Bowl’ guests, including Jhene Aiko, Summer Walker, and Bryson Tiller, did not speak out about his arrest in the days after it happened.
As previously reported, London Metropolitan Police learned of Chris Brown’s presence in the U.K. last week and traveled to Manchester to detain him. Officials formally charged him with inflicting grievous bodily harm on producer Abe Diaw.
Brown was on tour in the U.K. on February 19, 2023, when he allegedly struck Diaw several times with a bottle at Tape in London, prosecutor Nicholls said in court Friday. Breezy then allegedly chased Diaw and punched and kicked him. The producer has since filed a civil $16 million lawsuit against Chris, per TMZ.
Chris Brown isn’t the only person charged in the 2023 London attack. Omololu Akinlolu is also a suspect in the case. Akinlolu was due to appear in Manchester Magistrates’ Court for the same charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The 38-year-old rapper from Dallas, Texas, performs under the name “Hoody Baby.” He also goes by “Fat Leopard” and “Super Hood.” He has previously collaborated with Chris Brown and Lil Wayne.
At this time, police haven’t released details on what role Akinlolu played in the alleged assault, but said he was charged in connection with the same incident as Brown.
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The post (BREAKING UPDATE) Chris Brown Granted Bail In London Bottle Attack Case Ahead Of ‘Breezy Bowl’ Tour appeared first on The Shade Room.