Baby-faced R&B star Chris Brown pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he beat his pop-singing girlfriend Rihanna during a nasty lovers' quarrel that spilled into a Los Angeles street.
In a soft voice, the 19-year-old platinum-selling artist entered his plea in Los Angeles Superior Court to felony charges of assault and making criminal threats.
Rihanna, 21, who has reportedly accepted Brown back as her beau, skipped the hearing, but sent her lawyer, Donald Etra.
Dressed in black tuxedo pants and a black cardigan sweater, Brown stood next to his lawyer, Mark Geragos. Brown's mother, Joyce Hawkins, sat in the front row, her eyes red-rimmed as she watched Geragos coach her son through the plea hearing
The "Run It!" singer was ordered to return to court April 29 for another hearing.
If convicted, Brown faces a five-year prison sentence.
Brown's lawyers have been in "intense" negotiations to hammer out a plea deal that would spare him jail time. Prosecutors declined comment.
Etra said Rihanna, who flew to her native Barbados earlier Monday for a family celebration, "would be pleased if this were over quickly."
"I believe that there are efforts on behalf of all of the parties to resolve the case expeditiously, to see if the case can be resolved prior to preliminary hearing," Etra said. "I think that would benefit everybody."
The shocking charges stem from what prosecutors said was an early-morning attack Feb. 8, the day the couple were both scheduled to perform at at the Grammy Awards.
They were driving home from a pre-Grammy party when they began fighting over a provocative text message Brown had received from another woman.
Rihanna told cops that Brown preceded to pummel her in a rented Lamborghini.
Bloodied and badly bruised, the Barbados-born beauty managed to get out of the car and scream for help.