Los Angeles - AFP
Troubled singer Chris Brown has been ordered to stay away from an ex-girlfriend, model Karrueche Tran, after she said he punched her and threatened to kill her.
In documents made public Tuesday, a Los Angeles court granted a restraining order requested by Tran, with Brown facing arrest if he comes near her.
Tran, who has had an on-off relationship with Brown, said that the 27-year-old singer punched her in the stomach and pushed her down the stairs several years ago but that she did not call the police.
The model, who has also appeared in television series, said she requested the restraining order as Brown had recently sent her threats by text message.
"He told a few people that he was going to kill me. He said if no one else can have me, he's gonna 'take me out,'" she wrote.
Brown, who rose to fame at a young age with his R&B voice and later rap, has become notorious for allegations of abuse.
He was convicted of beating Rihanna, then his girlfriend, before the 2009 Grammy Awards, forcing the pop superstar to miss the music industry's annual gala.
Last year, he was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after an hours-long standoff with police.
A woman had called for assistance in that incident, but Brown's lawyers insisted she had set him up amid a feud.
Brown on Tuesday posted an expletive-filled video on Instagram in which he said to fans: "Make sure you all don't be listening to this."
It was unclear if he was commenting specifically on the restraining order -- or solely on his ongoing feud with another artist in legal trouble, the rapper Soulja Boy.
The two stars have been trading punches over social media and had dared each other to settle scores with a real-life fight -- a boxing match, which may prove lucrative for the two of them.
Brown confirmed that he has walked away from the boxing proposal, amid online taunts by Soulja Boy, who is facing unrelated felony weapons charges.
Brown called the match "immature" and said that too many middlemen "got in the way because they want to get a piece of the pie."
The latest woes have apparently not dented Brown's star appeal as he announced a major tour on Tuesday.
His promoters said that Brown would headline a 33-date tour of North American arenas joined by the rapper 50 Cent and other stars, starting on March 31 in Baltimore.