Chris Brown Has Been Consistently Dealing With Legal Issues Since 2009

During an appearance on Good Morning America in March 2011, Chris Brown angrily left the show in the middle of the interview. Co-anchor Robin Roberts asked Brown about the February 2009 domestic abuse incident with Brown's then-girlfriend Rihanna. She mentioned the fact that the restraining order filed against Brown had been relaxed and asked if he had seen his ex. "I mean, not really," replied Brown who tried to steer the conversation back to his latest album.

"I think I'm past that in my life," he claimed. When Roberts pressed the issue a bit more, Brown stormed off the stage. When he reappeared in the hallway of the studio, Brown was shirtless. Staff later discovered he had smashed a window in the dressing room. It would appear that violent outbursts were not actually in the singer's past. Here is a timeline of Chris Brown's legal troubles.

In February 2009, Brown was arrested for assaulting Rihanna. He would later plead guilty to felony assault and received five years' probation. He was also sentenced to community labor and was ordered to take domestic violence classes. According to People Magazine, he completed his yearlong domestic violence classes in 2010.

While finishing out his court-ordered community service in September 2012, Brown tested positive for marijuana in the state of Virginia. He was later issued a warning from Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg who also referred to Brown as a "role model." During Halloween of that year, Brown went to a party also attended by Rihanna. This was a violation of her restraining order against him. He was back in court on Nov. 1.

In January 2013, Brown got into a fight with Frank Ocean over a parking space at a recording studio. Ocean alleged that Brown called him a f----t right before threatening to shoot the "Lost" singer. Brown reportedly punched Ocean in the face. Five months later Brown was slapped with a thousand more community service hours after it was discovered he was out of the country for some of the time he allegedly volunteered for.

A mere two months after getting more community service hours, Brown was arrested at the W Hotel in Washington, D.C. after he and his bodyguard got into a "physical altercation" outside of the establishment. They sat in jail for 36 hours and were subsequently charged with simple assault misdemeanors. Brown was told to keep 100 yards away from the man he assaulted.

Brown was asked to leave a substance abuse rehabilitation facility in November after supposedly smashing the window of his mother's car during a family counseling session. He was sentenced to a three-month in-patient treatment program for anger issues.

In February 2014, Brown was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was ordered to spend two more months in a rehab facility, by a judge. A month later, he was tossed out of rehab for "violating internal rules" which was a probation violation. Brown was sentenced to 131 days in jail two months later. He was out in June 2014 and put back on probation.

Brown traveled to a nightclub in San Jose, Calif. for a private performance which resulted in his probation being revoked in January 2015. He did not ask for permission to leave Los Angeles County. At that performance, gunfire broke out in the audience, though Brown was not involved. A few months later, in May 2015, he allegedly punched a man at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. It was reportedly over a basketball game. His publicist denied Brown's involvement. The victim did not press charges.

After Brown assaulted Rihanna, he hired Michael Guirguis in order to help him with his image. A little over a year later, Brown allegedly assaulted Guirguis in May 2016. The lawsuit was settled out of court three years later. A couple of months later, police were in a standoff with Brown, who was locked inside his Los Angeles mansion. A woman with him called 911 and told authorities he threatened her with a gun. She did not press charges.

In April 2017, Brown allegedly "'sucker punched' a 28-year-old club photographer during a paid appearance at AJA Channelside," per People. Evidently Brown did not want his picture taken. Although he was arrested a year later, charges were dropped. Another restraining order came down the pipeline for Brown in June 2017 after his ex-girlfriend claimed he texted her violent threats. She also alleged Brown punched her in the stomach.

An unidentified woman sued Brown and two others, claiming she was sexually assaulted in his home in February 2017. In April 2020 the lawsuit was settled out of court. In December 2018 Brown was fined for owning a capuchin monkey sans a permit. He avoided jail time and was ordered to pay a fine and surrender the animal.

A woman filed a complaint with Paris police, claiming Brown and two other men drugged and raped her. This was later dropped, but Brown sued for defamation.

In April 2021 Brown's housekeeper filed a lawsuit against his company, Black Pyramid, stating her sister was viciously attacked by her employer's dog. As such, her sister required multiple surgeries. This is an ongoing case. A few months later, an unidentified woman called police from Brown's home to report she had been hit. It was reported that Brown was the suspect, though he was not home when police arrived.

"A woman identified as 'Jane Doe' filed a $20 million lawsuit against Brown on Jan. 27, 2022," per People, "alleging that he drugged and raped her on Dec. 30, 2020, on a yacht in Miami." This was later dropped after multiple text messages between Doe and Brown, sent after the alleged rape, showed Doe asking to repeatedly hang out with the R&B singer again.