Chris Brown may face a new trial over a dog attack incident if his former housekeeper, Maria Avila, declines a reduced award of $9.5 million.

A decision was made on September 29 by Judge Huey P. Cotton to overturn a previous ruling that granted Avila $12.9 million. The judge deemed the initial amount excessive in light of the evidence from the summer trial.

Judge Cotton is offering Avila the choice between accepting the reduced sum or proceeding with a new trial. Meanwhile, he upheld an $855,000 award for Patricia Avila, Maria’s sister, covering past economic damages and emotional distress, as she had been present during the attack.

The lawsuit against Chris Brown for negligence was filed by Maria in April 2021, following an incident in 2020 where she was allegedly attacked by his 200-pound Caucasian Shepherd while taking out the trash at his California residence. The incident resulted in lifelong scars and physical injuries for Maria.

Initially, Maria sought $90 million in damages. During court proceedings, Chris Brown reportedly stated that he had alerted both Maria and her sister about the aggressive nature of the dogs and advised them not to go outside without being accompanied by his security team.

The first trial resulted in a mistrial after a juror accessed external information about the case and shared it with fellow jurors. A second trial commenced soon after, concluding with a verdict two weeks following the initial mistrial.