'In this civil action, the purported gang affiliation of Knight or Brown is irrelevant to the issue of defendant's negligence,' their legal representatives write in a court filing.
- July 20, 2018
AceShowbiz - Singer Chris Brown and incarcerated rap mogul Suge Knight are seeking to keep their troubled pasts out of an upcoming trial over a 2014 nightclub shooting.
The Loyal hitmaker was hosting a pre-MTV Video Music Awards party at the 1OAK hotspot in West Hollywood, California, but the night turned violent when a gunman opened fire.
Multiple partygoers were injured, including Knight, who survived gunshot wounds to the abdomen, chest, and left forearm.
A number of the other victims have since filed civil suits, claiming club officials should have implemented extra security measures for the event because both Brown and Knight are allegedly known for having gang ties.
However, the two stars are now fighting back, with their attorneys joining forces to have the claims about their "reputation and character" banned from being discussed at trial.
"In this civil action, the purported gang affiliation of Knight or Brown is irrelevant to the issue of defendant's negligence," their legal representatives write in a court filing obtained by The Blast.
"Painting Knight and Brown as scary black men with gang-affiliations is an attempt to prejudice the jury against the defense and to raise some heightened sense of legal duty," they add.
A ruling about the motion has yet to be made.
