Investigation Discovery documentary Chris Brown: A History of Violence recalls how the rap star went from teenage sensation to alleged serial abuser overnight after assaulting Rihanna in 2009.

Despite pleading guilty to a felony assault charge over the attack on Rihanna, Brown has still been celebrated throughout his career, with the doctor claiming the singer was largely given a free pass by the music industry and the base. fans, even as accusations of physical and physical accusations. sexual assault and legal problems persist.

Now, with the doc set to premiere Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET, ID President Jason Salarnis describes the true-crime network drama as being about a troubled pop star and how his legacy of alleged threats and violence shown against women provides key red flags. for viewers so they can recognize domestic abuse in their own lives.

“This documentary acts as a cautionary tale for our audience in that it exemplifies the patterns and cycles of abuse that occur among men and women who are perpetuators of domestic violence. Being able to shine a light on this is really valuable to our viewers,” Sarlanis said. The Hollywood Reporter about his network reaching viewers who need help or who don’t even know they’re in an abusive relationship.

Sarlanis cites ID’s third annual No Excuse for Abuse campaign, which coincides with the Chris Brown doc to provide tools and resources to educate viewers, identify abuse and help stop domestic violence. Network TV, also behind this year’s bombshell Quiet on the set documentary, explores the pop idol’s years of alleged off-stage, including intimate, abuse in the documentaryintimate partner violence, assault charges and allegations of sexual assault.

That narrative of alleged abuse and assault follows the February 2009 incident in which Brown brutally assaulted then-girlfriend Rihanna and accepted a plea deal that included five years of probation and domestic violence counseling.

Sarlanis argues that Brown’s career trajectory since 2009 is an example of the Hollywood industry “time and time again empowering the wrong people.” But while Brown’s fame and wealth helped shield him from accountability, the ID chief says his 2009 incident with Rihanna can be mirrored in domestic violence cases everywhere.

“When you look specifically at the Chris Brown and Rihanna story and the tragic events that happened in 2009, events like these are happening in households all over the country with people who have a lot less name recognition and it gives us it allows us to tell those stories on a bigger stage,” he says of the Ample Entertainment doc. “It may not be the same example in homes across the country, but it’s the same tactics used by abusers, and so recognizing those tactics, no matter what they materialize, is critical to empowering our viewers.”

The ID contains an extended interview with Jane Doe, an accuser who, in December 2020, was invited to a party held by fellow rapper Sean”DiddyCombs on Star Island, where she claimed Brown raped her in a bedroom on a yacht. The Chris Brown doc follows recently arrest and criminal charges brought against Diddy, the music mogul now in prison awaiting trial on sex-trafficking and racketeering charges, as he also becomes the subject of a future identity document which is slated for a 2025 release.

Viewers will see Jane Doe navigate a range of emotions, including accusing and blaming herself during text exchanges and FaceTime sessions with Brown long after the alleged sexual assault, which prompted an investigation by Miami police, which was later abandoned for lack of evidence.

“Our Jane Doe story is so reflective of the fact that nearly half of all abuse cases in this country go unreported. And I think her story will resonate, unfortunately, with far too many of her viewers,” Sarlanis said, which is why she motivated the ID document on Brown. “We need to normalize survival. One in four women is affected by it. That number is staggering, and having any shame associated with being a survivor will perpetuate the very cycles that allow that one in four number to continue. Ultimately, our goal must be to reduce this ratio,” Sarlanis insisted.

When ID producers contacted Brown and his representatives, a lawyer for the singer said the allegations in the program were “malicious and false.”

Chris Brown: A History of Violence and the No Excuses for Abuse campaign together target a huge audience, as the document indicates that one in four women have experienced sexual violence, physical violence and even stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. And women who are not prepared to recognize or fully admit in their minds the threat of domestic violence, or even who are already suffering from physical or emotional violence, play into the hands of their abusers.

Following its premiere Chris Brown: A History of Violence, view co-host Sunny Hostin will lead a discussion with experts and advocates on intimate partner violence for the ID audience.