Chris Brown housekeeper accepts reduced award for dog mauling

The housekeeper mauled by a large dog outside Chris Brown's house four years ago has agreed to a reduced payout.

The jury at the trial in June awarded Maria Avila $12.9 million (£9.8 million) for her injuries. But the judge later concluded that the amount was not supported by the evidence.

At a hearing last week, Judge Huey Cotton told Avila she would have to undergo a new trial on damages if she declined a reduced award.

Judge Cotton called the jury's award "excessive" and proposed the revised sum of $9.5 million (£7.2 million).

"Maria Avila hereby unequivocally accepts and consents to the reduction of her damages award," Avila's lawyer wrote in a notice of acceptance filed on Thursday.

At the hearing last week, lawyers argued that Avila suffered a serious injury to her radial nerve, leaving her with reduced movement in her wrist and fingers and impairing her ability to grip objects, write, type, dress, groom herself, clean and perform other daily activities. They asked the court to consider only reducing the amount to $11 million (£8.3 million).

Both Brown and Avila testified at the trial in Los Angeles in June. Avila broke down crying as she recounted for jurors the 12 December 2020 mauling at the Under The Influence singer's home in the Tarzana neighbourhood of the San Fernando Valley.

She said the attack left her with severe injuries to her arm and face, extensive scarring, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I will never be the same again," she shared.