The chicken sandwich wars are no longer the only battle Popeyes is involved in. In a headline that could easily be mistaken for an internet prank, The Blast recently reported that musician Chris Brown is being sued for $2 million regarding his investment in Popeyes restaurants.
According to the documents obtained by The Blast, Brown, as part of a joint venture with other investors (including fellow rapper The-Dream), was loaned money by the bank to be invested in two Popeyes locations. City National Bank alleges it loaned the money to Brown in 2018 and has since attempted to collect what was owed, but has not received payment.
In total, the bank alleges “Borrower and Guarantors owe $2,140,901.74 in unpaid principal and interest.” Chris Brown is considered a “personal guarantor” of the loan and owes $1,314,367.40 himself, per the bank’s filing.
Making the situation even worse for Brown is the fact that the original lawsuit was filed in the state of Georgia, where, The Blast reports, a judge already ruled in favor of the bank. This most recent lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles, as that is where Brown lives and it’s therefore the best way for the bank to collect its money.
Brown has been involved in other fast food ventures, which evidently haven’t come with the financial complications of these alleged Popeyes locations. The Blast notes he also owns 14 Burger King restaurants in Virginia. Brown is in the company of many other celebrities who have put their money behind not only a fast food franchise, but fried chicken specifically. Former basketball star Shaquille O’Neal owns a chain of restaurants called Big Chicken, fellow musician Drake has a significant ownership stake in the rapidly expanding Dave’s Hot Chicken, and rapper Rick Ross owns a significant number of Wingstop franchises.
Considering Brown’s estimated net worth of $50 million and estimated annual income of $5 million, avoiding the repayment of $1-$2 million in loans might not seem worth a full legal battle. But as we’ve seen with the thorny MrBeast lawsuit, fast food can become an ugly battleground when both parties have the money to duke it out in court.