US singer Chris Brown admits London brawl charge

American R&B singer Chris Brown on Friday pleaded guilty to a public order offence during a brawl at a London nightclub in 2023, allowing him to avoid a UK trial.

"Guilty," replied Brown, 37, dressed in a beige suit and dark brown tie, after the charge of affray was put to him as he stood in the dock at Southwark Crown Court in London.

Rihanna's former boyfriend, who has sold tens of millions of records worldwide, will now not face trial on several other charges.

They had included attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon, namely a bottle, in connection with the incident.

Those charges, which he had denied at earlier hearings, will be dropped at a later date, the prosecutor said.

Under the new charge, Brown admitted to using or threatening unlawful violence that would have led others to fear for their personal safety, according to an indictment.

Arriving at court before the hearing, Brown was greeted by a small group of fans.

He was flanked by security guards and sported gold-rimmed sunglasses and a St Louis Cardinals baseball hat.

Brown appeared in the dock on Friday with co-defendant Omololu Akinlolu, 40, also a US national.

Brown, who had a troubled relationship with superstar singer Rihanna, will now be sentenced on October 26. Under English law, the penalties for affray run from a fine to up to three years in prison.

"This was a vicious and unprovoked attack by Brown and Akinlolu in a crowded nightclub where Brown used a glass bottle as a weapon to strike the victim's head twice," prosecutor Claire Campbell told a previous hearing.

The star had spent nearly a week in jail in May 2025 before being released.