Chris Brown says he was disinvited from NBA All-Star Celebrity Game due to controversy

Chris Brown is sharply criticizing the NBA, claiming he was disinvited from the league’s annual NBA All-Star Celebrity Game because of his past domestic violence incidents.

The R&B singer posted several screenshots of emails that appeared to have been sent by NBA representatives in his Instagram story early Saturday morning.

“I was asked by the NBA to play in the All-Star game this year! Only to call later and say they couldn’t do it because of their sponsors like RUFFLES. At this point I’m sick of people harassing me,” Brown said, before writing that he was “tired of living in the past.”

Chris Brown allegedly hit woman in Los Angeles, reports say

In a statement to USA TODAY on Sunday, Ruffles said that while the chip maker sponsored the NBA event, it “was in no way involved in or had any insight into player decisions or discussions regarding celebrity invitations.”

In a separate statement, the NBA also confirmed that Ruffles “had no influence on the Celebrity Game rosters.”

Although Brown was missing from this year’s All-Star squad, a number of celebrities attended the game, including Super Bowl champion and Kansas City Chiefs player Mecole Hardman Jr., talk show host and singer Jennifer Hudson, Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean, country singer Walker Hayes and YouTube star Lilly Singh.

“I POSTED THE EMAILS FOR YOU ALL TO SEE. The NBA was still trying to get me to sit courtside…” Brown told his 145 million Instagram followers.

Brown has been accused of domestic violence several times throughout his career. The Grammy winner was accused in 2021 of hitting a woman during an argument in a Los Angeles apartment. But he also has a longer history of detailed legal battles over the past two decades, including his infamous 2009 attack on singer and then-girlfriend Rihanna on Grammy night.

Chris Brown has a long history of legal battles over alleged acts of violence

In 2013, a woman accused Brown of pushing her to the ground after a performance at a California nightclub, but no charges were filed. Additionally, Brown was convicted of a misdemeanor following a 2015 assault charge against a Colorado woman.

In 2016, no charges were filed in an altercation at a Las Vegas nightclub in which a woman accused Brown of punching her in the face. However, later that year, Brown was charged with assault with a deadly weapon after a woman alleged that Brown had put a gun in her face. However, that charge did not result in a conviction.

In 2017, a judge granted Brown’s ex-girlfriend and model Karrueche Tran’s request for a restraining order after she claimed the singer threatened to kill her. Two years later, in 2019, the singer was taken into custody by Paris authorities on allegations of sexual assault, but was later released without charges being filed against him.

Contributors: Elise Brisco

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chris Brown says he was disinvited from NBA All-Star Celebrity Game