LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – R&B singer Chris Brown is entering rehab “to gain focus and insight into his past and recent behavior,” the singer’s representatives said on Tuesday, after Brown was arrested and charged with assault over the weekend.
Brown, 24, pleaded not guilty on Monday to misdemeanor assault after police reports said the singer and his bodyguard both punched a man in the face outside a Washington hotel, where Brown had a nightclub appearance.
“Chris Brown has elected to enter a rehab facility. His goal is to gain focus and insight into his past and recent behavior, enabling him to continue the pursuit of his life and his career from a healthier vantage point,” the singer’s representatives said in a statement, a day after Brown appeared in court.
Brown is due back in court on Nov. 20, and if convicted, faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
The Grammy-winning “Look at Me Now” singer has faced a string of legal troubles and has been on probation since 2009, when he assaulted pop singer Rihanna, his then-girlfriend. His sentence included domestic violence counseling.
His probation was revoked over the summer after he was charged in a hit-and-run traffic accident in Los Angeles, but reinstated after the singer committed to another 1,000 hours of community service.