Chris Brown Files Extortion Lawsuit Over Philippines Incident

Chris Brown has filed a lawsuit, saying that he was targeted by an extortion scheme after performing a concert in the Philippines in 2015.

According to the lawsuit, Brown was scheduled to perform at a New Year’s Eve concert in 2014 at Philippines Arena, but couldn’t make it because of a misplaced passport. Brown scheduled a make-up gig in Manila for July 2015, which he did perform — after which the extortion attempt was made, the suit says.

The suit alleges that Brown was scheduled to leave by private plane the day after the concert, but when he attempted to leave his hotel for the airport, “a group of armed personnel prevented him from leaving.”

According to the suit, a man identifying himself as counsel for Magilaya Corp. contacted Brown’s attorney and “threatened to have Plaintiff arrested and sent to jail based on a fraudulent criminal complaint filed … that same day, alleging that Plaintiff had defrauded Magilaya Corp. by not performing on New Year’s Eve in 2014.”

However, the man allegedly told Brown’s attorney he could “make it all go away” if Brown ponied up $300,000 to him and his “associate,” defendant Jose Victor Los Banos Giongco, but that Brown wouldn’t be granted flight clearance unless the money was transferred first.

Brown was able to leave after an immigration attorney retained by the singer’s attorney secured flight clearance, the lawsuit says, but the alleged extortion attempt didn’t end there.

“Defendants, having discovered that Plaintiff independently obtained flight clearance, attempted to extort Plaintiff one last time by taking credit for the flight clearance obtained by Plaintiff’s immigration attorney. Specifically, Defendants sent text messages that they ‘complied with the terms of the agreement,’ ‘gave their consent for Plaintiff to leave’ and instructed Plaintiff to ‘proceed with wiring the funds,’” the suit reads.

“Defendants’ outrageous conduct described herein was intentional, willful, malicious and done with full knowledge of the distress, anxiety, shock, discomfort and annoyance said conduct would cause to Plaintiff,” the lawsuit reads. “Plaintiff is therefore entitled to exemplary damages in a sum which will be sufficient to punish and make an example of Defendants, and each of them.”

Alleging civil extortion and intentional infliction of emotional distress, the suit seeks unspecified damages.

Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.