Chris Brown thanked Manchester ‘for the jail’ as he took to the stage in the city on Sunday, one month after being arrested there over an alleged nightclub bottle attack.
The rapper, 36, who was released on £5M bail and due in court on Friday, appeared in great spirits despite his legal woes as he made the cheeky quip during the latest stop of his Breezy Bowl XX tour at the Co-Op Live Arena.
Chris showcased his muscular arms in a black vest as he told the crowd: ‘I just want to tell you all, I love you all to death, I am so thankful that I could come out here tonight’.
‘Thank you all for having me and supporting me and thank you to the jail, y’all was really nice!’ he said while flashing a smile.
The hitmaker was was charged with causing grievous bodily harm to music producer Abe Diaw during the alleged assault at the Tape club in Mayfair in February 2023
Chris Brown, 36, thanked Manchester ‘for the jail’ as he took to the stage in the city on Sunday, one month after being arrested there over an alleged nightclub bottle attack
The rapper, who was released on £5M bail and due in court on Friday, appeared in great spirits despite his legal woes as he made the cheeky quip (pictured on stage in April)
Shortly after Chris was released on remand from prison last month, he posted a story to Instagram to tell his 144million followers: ‘From the cage to the stage!!!’, adding the the name of his tour.
His passport was held by lawyers and police until he needed it in an arrangement that will allow him to fulfil tour dates in Europe, the US and Canada, a court heard.
The conditions of his bail mean that he must reside at an address in the UK and can only access his passport when he needed to travel for a tour date, Heidi Stonecliffe KC, prosecuting, said.
Stonecliffe told Southwark Crown Court his passport would be held by the police until his international dates, then it would be collected by a solicitor from law firm Hickman & Rose, before being returned to Chris so he can travel to the US.
‘The passport is to then be lodged with a US lawyer named Mr Matthew Cayman. We have checked his details and he does exist,’ Ms Stonecliffe said.
‘It will be held by Mr Cayman until August. Then Mr Brown travels to Canada. It will be held by Mr Cayman during his US tour then Mr Brown returns to the UK and his passport will then be held by a solicitor.
‘What we then propose is that we have a further case management hearing on October 24.’
Other bail conditions include not to attend the Tape nightclub or contact his co-accused, Dallas rapper Omolulu Akinlolu, 38, the complainant or any witnesses.
He said: ‘Thank you all for having me and supporting me and thank you to the jail, y’all was really nice!’ he said while flashing a smile
Shortly after Chris was released from prison on remand last month, he posted an Instagram story to tell his 144million followers: ‘From the cage to the stage!!!’
The American superstar has been released on a £5million police bail, meaning he will be able to go on his international tour
Before agreeing to the conditions, judge Tony Baumgartner said he needed some more information about Chris’s net worth.
‘The one concern I have is the defendant leaving the jurisdiction then returning to the jurisdiction,’ he said.
‘What I don’t have is any feel for the defendant’s net worth and how the security stands against that.
‘It might be a lot of money to him or not a lot of money to him.’
Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC, said that during a break in proceedings she had been ‘waking up a lot of people across the west coast of America’ to establish Brown’s net worth.
Brown is claimed to have injured music producer Mr Diaw in an unprovoked attack when the singer and his entourage were at a club night called ‘Dirty Martini’.
The producer previously alleged Chris hit him over the head with a bottle two or three times and then punched and kicked him as he lay on the floor.
Prosecutor Hannah Nicholls previously told Manchester Magistrates’ Court the incident was an ‘extremely serious’ attack that was caught on CCTV.
She said Mr Diaw was ‘struck with a bottle several times’ and ‘punched and kicked repeatedly’.
Before the latest hearing, Adele Kelly, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said: ‘We have authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Chris Brown with one count of grievous bodily harm, contrary to section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
‘The alleged incident occurred in London on February 19, 2023. He will have his first court appearance on Friday, May 16 at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.
‘The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.
‘It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.’
