Chris Brown is facing significant backlash from fans in South Africa who are protesting his scheduled concert at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
The organization Women for Change, which advocates for women’s and children’s rights, has launched a petition aimed at canceling the event.
Sabina Walter, the executive director of Women for Change, expressed her dismay over the concert, citing Brown’s history of domestic violence as the reason he should not perform. “I was shocked and deeply disappointed when I learned that Chris Brown was coming to South Africa,” she stated. The petition aims to send a clear message against celebrating individuals with a history of violence against women.
Walter emphasized, “When a person like Chris Brown is given a platform in a country facing a crisis of gender-based violence (GBV), it sends a harmful message that fame and power can override accountability.”
Despite ongoing controversies, Chris Brown remains popular, and the petition is gaining momentum, having already gathered 20,000 signatures. The Change.org page references his previous domestic violence incidents, including his 2009 conviction for assaulting Rihanna, and highlights South Africa’s struggles with GBV.
The petition warns that allowing someone with Brown’s violent history to perform in a country with one of the highest rates of gender-based violence and femicide sends a dangerous message.
This protest coincides with the upcoming premiere of a new documentary titled Chris Brown: A History of Violence, set to air on Investigation Discovery later this month.
The documentary will explore his career, successes, and the abuse that has shadowed him, including an interview with a new accuser who has never previously spoken out.
Additionally, Brown is currently facing a $16 million lawsuit from Abe Diaw, who claims Brown attacked him in a bar in 2023 by smashing a bottle over his head, leaving him unconscious.
Brown has not yet responded to these allegations and is facing a default judgment.
