Warner Bros., Ample Seek Dismissal of Chris Brown Suit on Free Speech Grounds

Attorneys for Warner Bros. and Ample LLC state in new court papers that a defamation suit brought by R&B singer Chris Brown regarding the documentary “Chris Brown: A History of Violence” should be dismissed as an attempt to “penalize protected speech.”
Brown’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit seeks $500 million for what he says were false sexual assault allegations leveled against him in the production. But in court papers filed Monday with Judge Colin Leis in advance of a Jan. 8, 2026 hearing, attorneys for Warner Bros. and Ample say that Brown’s suit is a “garden-variety attempt by a celebrity plaintiff to penalize protected speech reporting on court proceedings and criminal investigations.”
Brown, according to the defense attorneys’ pleadings, is a “Grammy Award-winning artist whose prolific music career has been largely overshadowed by his acts of violence against women.”
The defense motion is brought under the state’s anti-SLAPP — Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation — law, the goal of which is to stop people from using courts, and potential threats of a lawsuit, to intimidate those who are exercising their First Amendment rights.
“Such a suit must fail as it is transparently a strategic lawsuit against public participation and the speech at issue is squarely protected by California’s fair report privilege and other defenses,” the defense lawyers further argue in their court papers.
In his suit filed Jan. 21, Brown alleges the media prioritized “putting their own profits over the truth” and that the defendants aired the October 2024 documentary “knowing that it was full of lies and deception.”
Brown has never been found guilty of any sex related crime, but the documentary states “in every available fashion that he is a serial rapist and sexual abuser,” the suit states.
The woman at the center of the documentary has been discredited for her allegations against Brown and any responsible journalist should have recognized the red flags her conduct raised, the suit states.
The alleged defamatory content in the documentary has caused significant harm to Brown’s reputation, career and business opportunities and discredits actual survivors of violence, the suit states.
Brown, 35, also alleges intentional infliction of emotional distress and says he will donate a portion of damages he may receive to survivors of sexual abuse. He additionally seeks punitive damages.