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A history of violence: how has Chris Brown survived so much controversy?

A shocking new documentary lays out the many allegations of abuse against the star, from attacking Rihanna to a claim of sexual assault on Diddy’s yacht

Only some of this is new information – Jane Doe’s lawsuit was first reported in the press in January 2022, becoming one of several stories, confined to legalese and copious use of the word “alleged”, surrounding Brown in the 15 years since the Rihanna assault made global, galling headlines. And then there is the case of Jane Doe, which was dismissed for insufficient evidence, though domestic violence experts in the film note that Brown’s alleged behavior – flattery, promises of help, withdrawal – are typical of abusers, and that due to the difficulty of proving sexual assault, only 6% of those reported end in an arrest. Jane Doe’s lawyer, Ariel Mitchell, notes what it took to overcome the momentum of celebrity in the case of R Kelly, a prolific sexual abuser – not just video evidence and years of reports, but an explosive documentary series and organized boycott of his music.

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