Singer Chris Brown is facing a lawsuit from a woman who alleges she was raped, sexually assaulted and falsely imprisoned at his Los Angeles home.
The unnamed victim’s lawyer, Gloria Allred, claims her client attended a party at the 29-year-old’s residence on the night of February 23, 2017, where she was forced by Brown’s friend, Lowell Grissom Jr, to perform sex acts on Grissom Jr and a female guest. She alleges that Grissom Jr then molested her while she was showering, and when she attempted to flee the bathroom, he pursued her, pinned her down on a bed and raped her.
“This is one of the most horrific cases involving alleged sexual assaults that I have ever seen, and our client, Jane Doe, has been severely traumatised by what she was forced to suffer,” Allred, a high profile women’s rights attorney, said ABC.
Allred told the media her client had attended a concert at West Hollywood’s 1Oak nightclub the evening of the alleged assault, where she was invited, along with her friend, to attend after-party hosted by Brown at a recording studio.
According to the lawsuit published by Rolling Stone, the women’s phones were allegedly confiscated by Grissom Jr, who told them the party was moving to Brown’s home.
“Plaintiff was forced to go to Brown’s home with others because she perceived that she would only be able to retrieve her phone there,” the lawsuit claims.
The suit claims the woman was “scared” and “intimated” with the “hardcore partying” that took place at Brown’s residence, and requested her phone be returned multiple times during the evening so that she could leave. Grissom Jr allegedly failed to oblige.
After the alleged assaults took place, the woman left in the early hours of February 24, sought medical assistance and reported the matter to police, the lawsuit claims.
Los Angeles Police Department told ABC that there is an open investigation regarding Grissom Jr. that has been referred to the district attorney’s office.
But an officer told Rolling Stone, “At this time, we do not have any open investigations against Chris Brown.”
While the woman’s suit alleges Brown supplied guest with illicit drugs and brandished firearms during the party, there is no suggestion that he directly participated in the alleged assaults.
In her statement, Allred said, “[The plaintiff] filed this lawsuit because she wants justice for herself, but she also wants to warn other young women about the potential danger to themselves if they have their phone taken away and if they go to Chris Brown’s house.”
Brown is yet to comment on the allegations.