Chris Brown has been ordered to pay nearly $13 million in damages to a woman who worked as his housekeeper after she was mauled by a massive security dog at one of his homes in December 2020.

How the jury awarded damages to Maria Avila and her family

A California jury ruled Tuesday that Brown and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, owe $12.9 million in damages to Maria Avila for negligence. Michael C. Murphy Jr., an attorney representing Avila’s sister, Patricia Avila, confirmed the verdict to Billboard, which first reported the news, and Rolling Stone.

He also said Patricia, who was working alongside her sister when the attack happened, was separately awarded $885,000 for emotional distress. Maria’s husband, Oscar Olivo, was awarded another $50,000, Murphy said. Avila initially filed the lawsuit in 2021, but it wasn’t officially resolved until now.

“After more than five years of litigating against Chris Brown, we are thrilled that we were able to get justice for our client, Patricia. We are so happy for her and her family after everything they went through on that horrible day. It was an honor to represent her,” he said in a statement obtained by Billboard.

Avila testified during the two-week trial, recounting the 2020 attack

During the two-week trial, Avila recounted the Dec. 12, 2020, attack. She testified that she was taking out the trash at Brown’s Tarzana, California, home when Hades, the R&B singer’s Caucasian Shepherd, mauled her, ripping off “large chunks of her skin.” The attack left her with permanent facial disfigurement, scarring, vision loss and nerve damage.

“I will never be the same again,” she told jurors in the courtroom in Van Nuys, California, on June 24, per Rolling Stone.

Testifying through a Spanish interpreter, Avila said the attack left her with lasting physical and emotional injuries. She underwent multiple surgeries, including skin grafts, and told jurors she continues to experience nerve damage, chronic pain and limited mobility. She also said the attack left her afraid of dogs and unable to continue working as a housekeeper.

What did Brown say about the incident?

Brown, 37, who also testified as the first witness during the trial, was home during the attack. He said that after he heard Hades growling, he rushed downstairs to find Avila motionless on the ground. He told jurors that he alerted his security team about the situation and that he didn’t personally call 911 because he feared a recording would be leaked to the media, per Rolling Stone.

He also said he never touched Avila or did anything else during the incident, but he assured her that help was coming. During his testimony, he described the mother of three’s injuries.

“It was cut, like, severed,” he said, according to Rolling Stone. “I know it’s graphic, but you could see the skin was kind of raised. You could see the cut and the blood coming out. … It was a lot of blood.”

Brown is currently on the road alongside fellow R&B star Usher for their joint Raymond & Brown Tour.