Singer Chris Brown Released in Paris After Rape Complaint

Singer Chris Brown Released in Paris After Rape Complaint
Singer Chris Brown performs at Drai's Beach Club - Nightclub at the Cromwell Las Vegas kicking off Drai's LIVE 2016 on January 1, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for Drai's Beachclub-Nightclub)
The Associated Press
1/22/2019
Updated:
1/22/2019

U.S. singer Chris Brown and two other people were released Jan. 22 from police custody after a woman filed a rape complaint against them, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

The Grammy-winning singer was detained Jan. 21 with two other suspects on potential charges of aggravated rape and drug infractions.

The Paris prosecutor’s office told The Associated Press that Brown has been authorized to leave France while the investigation is ongoing.

A post late Jan. 22 on Brown’s Instagram page strongly denied the accusations.

“I WANNA MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR...... THIS IS FALSE,” the post said. “FOR MY DAUGHTER AND MY FAMILY THIS IS SO DISPRESPECTFUL AND IS AGAINST MY CHARACTER AND MORALS!!!!!”

Brown’s publicists at Sony Music wouldn’t comment on Jan. 22 on the complaint or say what Brown, 29, was doing in Paris. His U.S. attorney, Mark Geragos, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Singer Rihanna inside the Los Angeles Superior Court during the hearing in the Chris Brown felony assault case, on June 22, 2009. (Lori Shepler/AFP/Getty Images)
Singer Rihanna inside the Los Angeles Superior Court during the hearing in the Chris Brown felony assault case, on June 22, 2009. (Lori Shepler/AFP/Getty Images)

The woman who filed the Paris complaint said she met Brown and his friends overnight Jan. 15-16 at the club Le Crystal in the 8th arrondissement near the Champs-Elysees, and then they all went to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel near the Concorde Plaza in central Paris, according to a police official.

The Mandarin Oriental wouldn’t comment on the investigation, and Le Crystal couldn’t immediately be reached. There was no unusual activity outside either site.

One of Brown’s bodyguards is among the others detained in the Paris investigation, according to the official. They are being held by judicial police in the 17th arrondissement of northwest Paris, the official said.

Christopher Hollosy leaves the H. Carl Moultrie I Superior Court House where Chris Brown and his assualt trials are taking place on April 18, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Kris Connor/Getty Images)
Christopher Hollosy leaves the H. Carl Moultrie I Superior Court House where Chris Brown and his assualt trials are taking place on April 18, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Kris Connor/Getty Images)

The police official wasn’t authorized to be publicly named to discuss the investigation.

The detention was originally reported by French gossip magazine Closer.

Brown, who burst onto the music scene as a teen, won a Grammy Award in 2011 for best R&B album for “F.A.M.E.” and has nominations for other works. His hits include “Look at Me Now,” ‘'Run It,“ and numerous collaborations with other stars, including ”Post to Be“ and last year’s ”Freaky Friday” with Lil Dicky.

He released a new single earlier this month and has a new album coming this year. Six of his albums have gone platinum.

He retains a huge following of devoted fans, including nearly 50 million followers on Instagram . He posted an Instagram photo Monday from Paris appearing to show him at a nightclub, among several recent posts. Followers responded with mixed messages to the rape accusation.

It’s the latest legal trouble for Brown, who was arrested at the end of a concert last year to face a felony battery charge involving a nightclub photographer.

In 2013, Brown was charged with misdemeanor assault after he was accused of striking a man outside a Washington hotel. He was ordered into rehab but was dismissed for violating facility rules. Brown spent 2½ months in custody.

After he completed court-ordered anger-management classes, Brown was accused of throwing a brick at his mother’s car following a counseling session.

After Brown posted a picture to his Instagram followers in January 2018 showing his 3-year-old daughter, Royalty, cuddling with a pet monkey, California fish and wildlife agents seized the capuchin monkey named Fiji from his home in Los Angeles.

Brown was later handed a misdemeanor charge for lacking a permit for the primate. He is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 6 in Los Angeles.