Chris Brown has gotten himself into trouble over his pet monkey Fiji, and could be facing criminal charges and jail time.
Back in December, Brown purchased the exotic animal and posted a video of it in his three-year-old daughter Royalty’s arms. The clip sparked controversy as people commented how dangerous it was for a young child to be in such close encounters with a wild animal.
"This is wrong on so many levels" one person wrote on social media. "It perpetuates the idea that wild animals are pets, it funds illegal wildlife trade which is threatening the extinction of thousands of species and it glorifies ignorance. Such a shame that you haven't educated yourself about the horrors you are contributing to and promoting."
Unfortunately, Brown can now be facing some time behind bars for the unusual purchase. According to TMZ, Brown never obtained a permit for the exotic pet. Brown reportedly surrendered the animal, but could now be charged with having a restricted species without a permit, and a misdemeanour, that carries a maximum of six months in jail.
“Chris Brown posted something on Instagram in December and showed a picture of his daughter with the monkey and said it was his pet,” an officer from the Department of Fish and Wildlife told Page Six on Friday. “Immediately we had half a dozen or so phone calls. It is not lawful to possess an unpermitted monkey, including a bunch of other animals, in California.
“We did a brief investigation to come to a conclusion that he was indeed in possession. On Jan. 2, they used a search warrant to go to the house and seize the monkey as evidence and they will file the case with the L.A. City Attorney’s Office.”
Brown’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, commented to TMZ, "As I leave my office in Downtown L.A. and walk past people sleeping on the street on my way to defend people charged by the City Attorney with selling medical marijuana ... now spending taxpayer money on investigating monkey business, this completes the circle on his absurdity.”
Geragos also commented to Page Six that he is “confident nothing will come of this.”
Original article by Isha Thorpe at iHeartRadio