A Tampa nightclub has accused Chris Brown of assaulting its house photographer during a paid celebrity appearance. It’s the latest bad headline for Brown, who recently took to Instagram to deny an unflattering Billboard report in which associates described him as struggling with drug addiction, prone to anger, and frequently abusive to staff.
According to TMZ, Brown and his entourage arrived at Tampa’s Aja Channelside club around 1:30 a.m. Monday morning. His crew reportedly asked for no photos, but shortly after, Brown apparently spotted the club photographer taking photos, and allegedly punched him in the face. (The photographer’s name has not been released.)
There’s cellphone video footage of the incident, though the club is dark and the action is difficult to make out. According to TMZ, Brown is wearing the red shirt, while the man in yellow is his bodyguard. The photographer is apparently standing in the shadows to the left of the projection screen.
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In a Facebook statement, Aja Channelside said its staff is pressing charges. Brown is currently on tour. He’s set to appear at a Miami nightclub tonight, and at a concert in Jacksonville, Florida tomorrow.
Read Aja Channelside’s account of last night’s incident below.
Update, 5:45 p.m.: The Tampa Police Department has shared a brief report on last night’s call at Aja Channelside.
We are actively investigating an incident involving R&B singer Chris Brown. Here’s what happened… pic.twitter.com/R162TjsVtT
— TampaPD (@TampaPD) April 17, 2017
Update (4/19, 9:29 a.m.): The club is requesting that Brown return the $30,000 fee he was paid, TMZ reports. (He allegedly stayed just five minutes of the hour he was booked for.) No word on whether that’s going to happen, raising the potential of a legal fight.
