R&B singer Chris Brown, Dallas rapper Yella Beezy, Live Nation, and a few others are being sued by four men who claimed they were violently attacked and left hospitalized after a concert in North Texas.
A civil lawsuit was filed in Houston on Monday regarding an alleged incident on Saturday, July 20, seeking $50 million in damages for monetary losses, pain and suffering, disfigurement, mental anguish, and past, present, and future medical expenses.
The lawsuit names Brown, Markies 'Yella Beezy' Conway, UK rapper Sinko Ceej, Omololu "Hood Boss" Akinlolu, Live Nation Worldwide, Inc., and Live Nation Marketing, Inc.
The men listed are accused of being part of Brown's paid entourage and attacking Larry Parker, Joseph Lewis, Charles Bush, and Damarcus Powell by "throwing chairs at them and repeatedly kicking, stomping, and beating them."
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
The legal filing also alleged that Live Nation presented and marketed Brown's concert. The plaintiffs want to hold the singer, his promoters and presenters, and his paid entourage responsible for what happened.
According to the lawsuit, Parker, Lewis, Bush, and Powell said they attended the second night of Brown's "11:11 Tour" stop in Fort Worth at the Dickies Arena. Once the concert was over, the alleged victims, along with around 40 women, were invited backstage to Brown's VIP area.
When they entered the VIP area, Brown allegedly told the women to turn in their phones and place them on a table before entering a room with his entourage.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The lawsuit claimed that Brown then returned to the VIP area after about 30 minutes, and at that time, the alleged victims grew tired of waiting and proceeded to leave. Right before leaving, Bush said he approached the singer to shake his hand and congratulate him on a good show.
In the legal document, Bush stated that he told Brown, "Good show; it's been a while, but I'm glad to see you are doing well. It's been a long time since I have seen you." Brown allegedly responded, "Hey, yeah, it has been, and I appreciate it."
The lawsuit alleged that right before Bush, Parker, Lewis, and Powell could leave, someone from Brown's entourage yelled to the singer, "Man, you don't remember you two were beefing?" Brown then allegedly told his crew to attack Bush.
According to statements in the lawsuit, Bush immediately tried to leave with the companions he brought to the show, and they were followed by Brown and about seven to 10 members of his entourage before the plaintiffs were allegedly assaulted in a hallway.
Sinko Ceej is accused of running to the left side of the crowd and punching Bush in the chest. At the same time, Akinlolu allegedly picked up a chair and threw it at Bush's head. Brown then allegedly turned to Parker and told Conway and others to attack him, the lawsuit said.
The court documents stated that because the victims were severely outnumbered, Parker ran into a staircase and attempted to escape at the bottom of the stairs through a locked door.
It was alleged that Brown and his crew members punched Parker in the face and chest, kicked him in the head for over 10 minutes, and stomped him, causing him severe bodily injury. Powell and Bush were said to have been punched in the shoulder and chest by Brown and his entourage.
According to the suit, Bush, Powell, Lewis, and Parker all received severe injuries to their heads, necks, shoulders, and backs and are still receiving medical treatment.
"The brutal, violent assault participated in and directed by Brown severely injured all Plaintiffs," the plaintiff's legal team said in the suit. "Chris Brown’s egregious conduct must be stopped."
Lawsuit documents said the alleged victims, who are represented by the Buzbee Law Firm, demanded a jury trial and a temporary restraining order to "preserve evidence."
CHRIS BROWN'S ATTORNEY RESPONDS, CALLS INCIDENT 'A SET UP'
Chris Brown retained attorney Levi G. McCathern II as legal counsel in the civil lawsuit.
McCathern alleged the conflict began when Bush, a Dallas personal injury attorney, and a group of uninvited guests approached Brown and began provoking a reaction.
“These individuals had a clear agenda when they approached Chris. They were seeking trouble and are directly responsible for the situation that ensued,” said McCathern.
McCathern insisted in the statement that Brown "never initiated physical contact with anyone."
McCathern pointed to the speed at which Bush retained Houston attorney Buzbee to file the 50-page lawsuit.
“Chris was unjustly targeted in this incident. These individuals saw him as an opportunity for financial gain and should never have been permitted backstage in the first place. The whole episode was clearly a setup,” he said in the statement.
YELLA BEEZY'S ATTORNEY RESPONDS, CALLS LAWSUIT 'FRIVOLOUS AND WITHOUT MERIT'
Attorney Daryl K. Washington, an attorney retained to represent Markies Conway, the artist known as 'Yella Beezy,' released the following statement on behalf of his client:
“Based on the information that we know, the lawsuit that includes Markies Conway, or Yella Beezy, is frivolous and without merit. Conway was not involved in any incident, did not have any contact with the Plaintiffs, and does not understand why he is a named party in the lawsuit or the temporary restraining order that clearly was filed before all facts were obtained and verified. We know that if a thorough investigation had been conducted, as is required before filing a lawsuit, it would be clear that Conway was not involved in the alleged altercation. We will ensure a proper investigation is completed. We will also hold accountable any person or entity that is wrongfully attempting to involve, defame and impact the life of Conway/Yella Beezy. It is simply irresponsible to falsely accuse him, or any other party, for being involved in an incident when there is no evidence to support the accusations.”
FORT WORTH POLICE ASK FOR COMMUNITY'S HELP IN INVESTIGATION
The Fort Worth Police Department told NBC 5 that Brown was not arrested in the city over the weekend.
On July 25, the Fort Worth Police Department said it was asking for the community's help in the investigation into what allegedly happened at Dickie's Arena during the evening of Saturday, July 20.
"An altercation occurred backstage after the Chris Brown concert. Fort Worth detectives are asking to speak to anyone who witnesses the altercation and/or the events leading up to the incident," the police department said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Fort Worth Police Detective Fincher at 817-392-4445 and refer to Report #240057005.
