After living for months primarily in the world of gossip columns and Internet innuendo, the infamous club brawl between Drake and Chris Brown will now spend much of its days in the realm of attorneys, judges and courtrooms.
Drake and Brown were sued for $16 million by a company with links to the club where the brawl took place. The suit blames the artists for the brawl and claims they are liable for what happened because they did nothing to stop it. The suit alleges that the brawl sullied the club’s name and harmed future business.
The suit, filed by Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., said Drake and Brown were at fault for their part in the brawl “in circumvention of the venue’s extensive security measures.”
While no criminal charges were ever filed, the fight at W.i.P. club caused injuries to Brown and NBA star Tony Parker, who required eye surgery and had to wear special goggles when he played for France in the London Olympics. Parker subsequently sued the club for $20 million for allowing a brawl that almost ended his career. According to police, the craziness started after members of Drake’s entourage confronted Brown on the dance floor as he was leaving the club’s basement lounge. Drake’s representatives have said he was on his way out and didn’t injure anyone.
The lawsuit cites news accounts of the bad blood between Drake and Brown over Rihanna. Lawyer Andrew Miltenberg said Entertainment Enterprises believes the two men instigated the violence—or at least failed to stop it.
“It’s their posse, and they’re in charge, and to the extent that they could have controlled or dissipated whatever was going on, we don’t believe they did,” the lawyer said.
According to the lawsuit, the club fracas caused a $4 million deal to fall through for the companies involved.
Because of publicity about the fight, a $4 million deal to license Greenhouse’s name for other clubs around the country fell through, the lawsuit says. The W.i.P. club reopened last month, after being closed by the city immediately after the brawl.
