Chris Brown’s $90 million civil lawsuit resulted in a mistrial Tuesday, TMZ reports.
The lawsuit was filed in December 2020 by his former housekeeper. She claims she was seriously injured when she was allegedly mauled by a Caucasian shepherd named “Hades.”
Maria Avila, the housekeeper, reportedly “suffered emotional and physical injuries after the large dog attacked her while she was taking out the trash at the property.”
After the attack, Avila reportedly required emergency surgery. She was also left with permanent disfigurement, vision loss, and nerve damage. Avaia filed the $90 million) suit against Brown alongside her husband and her sister, Patricia, who witnessed the incident.
According to Rolling Stone, Brown accepted partial responsibility during jury selection on Monday. He disputed Avila’s claims for several years.
Although he agreed that Avila was injured during the incident, he did not agree on the amount she should be paid. Also, if her husband and sister should receive compensation.
The trial began Monday but was abruptly halted by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Huey P. Cotton. He declared a mistrial after a juror allegedly researched the case online and shared the findings with the jury.
”Unfortunately, one of the jurors has violated my admonitions against searching the internet for information. And not only that, but he also shared it, and as a consequence, I have to declare a mistrial,” Cotton said.
Following the dismissal of the jury, Cotton ordered attorneys in the case to begin picking new jurors from the pool already awaiting assignment that day. Brown’s lawyers requested “a delay in the case to allow him to visit his newborn child in Las Vegas.” He is due back in court on Thursday morning.
Twelve days after the attack, Hades was euthanized on Christmas Eve 2001, Lost Coast Outpost reported. The aggressive dog was mysteriously found wandering the rural countryside of Humboldt County in Northern California.