pet monkey

Chris Brown has the best defense against criminal charges that he owns a restricted species as a pet monkey. The City filed charges against Brown alleging he purchased a restricted species of monkey for his 4-year-old daughter, Royalty Brown.

The embattled singer told a tabloid he isn’t guilty because he doesn’t even own a monkey.

Brown was heavily criticized in December 2017 when he posted a video online showing his daughter Royalty, who was 3 at the time, playing with a capuchin monkey named Fiji.

Concerned Instagram users notified wildlife officials at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who opened an investigation.

On Thursday, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles City Attorney confirmed that Brown had been hit with two counts of owning an exotic animal without a permit.

Sources close to the 29-year-old singer tell editors at TMZ that he is not the real owner of Fiji, and the video was not even shot at his home in Los Angeles.

The insiders tell the gossip tabloid that Fiji belongs to a relative who lives in Las Vegas and was visiting Brown with the pet when the video was taped.

The source said it’s all a “bad coincidence” that they happened to be in town when the video was filmed.

Under California law, it is illegal to keep certain exotic animals, including monkeys, poisonous snakes, lizards, etc., without a permit.

Brown’s attorney, Mark Geragos tells TMZ that the City attorney is wasting taxpayer money on absurd charges.

“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.”

Brown is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 6. The singer could face up to a year in jail if found guilty on both charges.