Chris Brown concerts cancelled amid protests, legal concerns

HALIFAX – The show won’t go on for Chris Brown in Dartmouth this summer, according to the show’s promoter.

Stephen Tobin, the owner of Drop Entertainment Group, said in a statement Monday the Energy/Summer Rush concert series was being postponed until next year.

“After ongoing conversation and consultation with this year’s headline act Chris Brown, and in light of the performer’s recent personal and health-related issues, a decision has been made to cancel all four scheduled performances,” the statement says.

“In the absence of a festival headliner, we cannot proceed.”

The series included concerts at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth and Harbour Station in Saint John, along with shows in Toronto and Winnipeg.

READ MORE: Global News coverage of the Chris Brown concert controversy

Drop Entertainment made waves when it announced Brown as the headline act for its Aug. 31 show. Halifax residents — including Mayor Mike Savage — reacted with anger over the decision to invite the singer to perform and a number of businesses pulled their sponsorship from the concert over concerns about Brown’s past legal troubles — notably, his 2009 attack on then-girlfriend and fellow recording artist Rihanna and subsequent probation violation.

Tobin told Global News the cancellation was not due to the backlash.

“It had absolutely no bearing on the decision,” he said. “In the end, this was a mutual decision made between ourselves and Chris Brown and his management team, and it was a decision based on personal matters and health issues.”

An online petition calling for Brown to be removed as the headliner gathered more than 16,000 signatures.

Earlier in August, the Grammy winner suffered a seizure brought on by intense fatigue and extreme emotional stress, according to his publicist.

Last week, Brown was sued by a man who claims he was punched and kicked by a member of Brown’s entourage during a fight at a recording studio in January.

He was also ordered to serve another 1,000 hours of community service after violating a probation order when he was involved in a hit-and-run in May.

There remains a possibility Brown could still perform in the Halifax area next year, according to Tobin.

“I think we’re open to all possibilites, and I think that I have tremendous respect for Chris as an artist,” he said. “I respect his artistic ability, and obviously he has a lot of fans across Canada.”

Ticket refunds will be issued at the original points of sale. More information is available alongside the Drop Entertainment release.