Chris Brown’s long-running legal battle over a violent dog attack at his California home has taken another costly turn. A jury not only awarded millions to the former housekeeper injured in the incident but also granted damages to her husband for the impact the attack had on their marriage.
The verdict closes a case that has stretched on for more than five years, stemming from a 2020 incident in which Maria Avila was severely mauled while working at Brown’s Tarzana property. Brown disputed key aspects of the lawsuit throughout the proceedings, but the jury ultimately found him liable for negligence.
The jury found Oscar Olivo was entitled to damages from Chris Brown for the impact the attack had on the couple’s marriage
While Maria Avila received the largest award, her husband, Oscar Olivo, was also granted $50,000 in damages. According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline, jurors determined he was entitled to compensation for the loss of his wife’s “love, companionship, comfort, care, assistance, protection, affection, society, moral support, and enjoyment of sexual relations.”
Maria was awarded nearly $12.9 million for the physical and emotional injuries she suffered after being attacked by Hades, a Caucasian Shepherd Ovcharka, while taking out the trash at Brown’s home in December 2020. Her sister, Patricia Avila, who witnessed the attack, was separately awarded $885,000 for emotional distress, according to Billboard.
During the trial, Maria testified that she had only worked at the property a handful of times and said she had never been warned that the dog posed a danger. She alleged the animal caused permanent injuries, including facial disfigurement, nerve damage, vision loss, and multiple surgeries.
Brown pushed back against those claims. He testified that he had warned Maria and Patricia that the dogs were “absolutely not” friendly and argued they should not have been outside without security personnel, according to Billboard. He also maintained that Hades was owned and handled by his security team rather than being his personal pet.
Following the verdict, Maria’s attorney, Nancy Doumanian, said in a statement to Billboard, “After hearing all of the evidence, the jury rejected those claims and found that she was not at fault.” Attorney Michael C. Murphy Jr. added that the family finally received “justice” after years of litigation.
Brown’s representatives did not immediately comment following the verdict.
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