Chris Brown is in custody in Paris after being accused of rape.
French officials tell The Associated Press that the Grammy-winning singer was arrested Monday (Jan. 21) on potential charges of aggravated rape and drug infractions and remains in custody. Investigators have two days to decide whether to let him go or file preliminary charges.
Brown was detained along with two other unidentified people, including his bodyguard. The woman who filed the complaint said she met Brown and his friends on Jan. 15-16 at the club Le Crystal before going to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Brown had been in Paris for Fashion Week, where he attended the Yohji Yamamoto show. His attorney, Mark Geragos, has yet to comment on the investigation.
The 29-year-old singer has a history of run-ins with the law, including a 2009 incident involving his then-girlfriend, Rihanna. He pled guilty to felony assault and making criminal threats, and received five years’ probation and community service.
In July, Brown was arrested after a concert in West Palm Beach, Florida, on a felony battery charge stemming from an April 2017 incident where he was accused of punching a man who photographed him without permission.
Earlier this month, he released his new single “Undecided” is readying his new album Indigo for release later this year.
UPDATE: Chris Brown and the two other men who were detained have been released from police custody. The singer was released on his own recognizance, without bail. While an investigation continues, Brown is free to leave France. French prosecutors tell TMZ, “The investigations, which are not closed at this stage, will continue under the authority of the Paris prosecutor’s office.”
Taking to Instagram, Brown denied the accusations. “I WANNA MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR…… THIS IS FALSE AND A WHOLE LOT OF CAP!” he wrote. “NNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEERRRRRR!!!!!! FOR MY DAUGHTER AND MY FAMILY THIS IS SO DISPRESPECTFUL AND IS AGAINST MY CHARACTER AND MORALS!!!!!”