Chris Brown sued for allegedly attacking opponent at basketball game

Reported altercation took place at North Hollywood’s 24 Hour Fitness gym last year, with victim allegedly ending up with a fractured rib and post-traumatic stress disorder

Chris Brown is being sued for allegedly attacking one of his opponents at a basketball game last July. The singer’s lawyer claims Brown is being extorted by Malcolm Ausbon, who said he was “jumped and beaten” by the star and his entourage. Although the incident dates from 29 July 2013, Ausbon only filed his lawsuit last week, seeking unspecified damages for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence. The decision to go to a judge followed Brown’s refusal to negotiate a private settlement. “I was talking to [them] and they didn’t want to communicate anymore,” Ausbon’s lawyer, Stephen Wegman, told the New York Daily News. “If Chris Brown isn’t willing to compensate [my client] for what he did to him, I’m not going to back down.” The lawyer for Brown, Mark Geragos, has described this as “extortion”, according to an interview with TMZ. Geragos alleges that in a meeting last August, Wegman admitted that Brown “never touched his client”. There is apparently video from the fight that shows the attacker had dreadlocks – which Brown does not. Advertisement Nevertheless, Ausbon’s lawsuit does not claim that Brown acted alone. The alleged altercation took place during a game at North Hollywood’s 24 Hour Fitness gym, when Ausbon and Brown got into an argument about a foul. After Ausbon “expressed his dissatisfaction”, Brown is said to have announced that he is a member of the Bloods street gang. Ausbon was then approached by three members of Brown’s entourage, who said, “If you fuck with Chris, you fuck with us”. They then began to “strike, punch, kick, pull and stomp” his face and body. A representative for Brown has since told TMZ: “Chris is not affiliated with a gang or any similar organisation. He is affiliated with the Symphonic Love Foundation and other organisations that strive to bring love, hope and the arts to children in need.” In the subsequent tussle, Ausbon allegedly ended up with a fractured rib, cuts and bruises all over his body, and a handful of conditions: post-traumatic stress disorder, distorted vision, dizziness, nervousness, fear and anxiety. “Imagine going to play a game of basketball, and you get jumped by four guys because you call a foul,” Wegman said. “This isn’t for fame or fortune. He’s got medical bills and issues as a result of some famous guy thinking he’s above the law.” Brown is currently on a 90-day programme for anger management, as ordered by the court. Almost five years after his assault on Rihanna, Brown’s probation was temporarily revoked, in December, following a fight in Washington, DC. He is due back in court on 28 February. Tags: Chris Brown, R&B, Pop and rock