American R&B singer Chris Brown has been arrested in Paris on suspicion of rape.

A 25-year-old woman has accused Brown of raping her on the evening of January 15 at a five-star hotel in the French capital.

Brown and two other people - one of whom is believed to be his bodyguard - are in custody in Paris today as police investigate allegations of sexual assault and 'drug infractions'.

He is alleged to have met the woman at a nightclub near the Champs-Elysees and taken her back to the Mandarin Oriental hotel, where he is accused of having attacked her.

A source close to the case claimed today that 'a number of the suspects were carrying cocaine, which police found at the hotel after responding to a complaint.'

Brown with his girlfriend Ammika Harris at Paris nightclub Cirque Bonheur on Saturday night

Singer Chris Brown is pictured in Paris on January 16, the morning after he allegedly raped a 25-year-old woman at a hotel. He is seen meeting people unconnected to the alleged attack. Police sources said he had been arrested yesterday

Timeline of Chris Brown's legal troubles 2009: Brown pleads guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna on the eve of the Grammys. He is sentenced to five years' probation, a domestic violence programme and 180 days of community labour. 2012: The musician is involved in a nightclub brawl with Drake in New York. The case is later settled. 2013: He is handed another 1,000 hours of community labour after a traffic accident in Los Angeles. Later that year he is arrested for punching a man who tried to take a picture with him outside a Washington luxury hotel. He is also accused of throwing a brick at his mother's car. 2014: Brown is arrested and jailed after he is thrown out of rehab. He also admits violating his probation over the assault in Washington. 2016: Model Liziane Gutierrez claims Brown hit her and took her mobile phone in a Las Vegas hotel room. No charges are brought. Later the same year he is arrested after a stand-off outside his Los Angeles home, following claims he pointed a gun at a woman. 2017: The rapper is ordered to stay away from ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran after he allegedly punched her and threatened to kill her. 2018: Brown is arrested on a battery charge immediately after a performance in Florida. He is also charged after sharing a picture of a three-year-old daughter with a monkey. Wildlife agents seized the animal and said he had no permit. 2019: He is arrested in Paris and accused of raping a woman. Advertisement

Brown has been arrested awaiting potential charges of 'aggravated rape and drug infractions', officials said.

The woman has accused Brown of raping her after they met at Le Crystal nightclub.

She is then said to have returned to the Mandarin Oriental hotel with other women and a total of three men.

The alleged victim claimed Brown had attacked her when they were left alone together.

The woman has also accused Brown's bodyguard and another friend of the singer of assaulting her.

'[Brown] is accused of a rape and is being held at the judicial police offices in the 1st arrondissement,' said a prosecuting source.

'He was arrested with two others on Monday, and interviews and other enquiries are ongoing. The offence is said to have taken place on the night of January 15 this year.'

The singer's bodyguard is one of the two other men detained, according to police officials.

'The woman said she was abused by Mr Brown, a bodyguard, and a friend, and then she was left alone with the star,' said another source in Paris.

'A total of three men were arrested at Mr Brown's hotel. They did not resist police, and now have lawyers representing them.'

Brown was arrested on Monday and is still in custody today while police investigate the claims, they said.

Investigators have another two days to decide whether to let him go or file preliminary charges.

Brown's publicists at Sony Music would not immediately comment.

The musician has been seen in the French capital in recent days attending events in the city's fashion week.

Brown is accused of attacking a woman at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Paris (pictured today)

A map showing the locations of Le Crystal nightclub near the Champs-Elysees and the Mandarin Oriental hotel where the alleged attack took place

R&B singer Chris Brown (pictured in Paris during the city's fashion week) has been arrested in the French capital on suspicion of rape

On Saturday night he was seen with his model girlfriend Ammika Harris at Paris nightclub Cirque Bonheur.

He has been in repeated legal trouble since pleading guilty to the felony assault in 2009 of his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, in the U.S.

He completed his probation in that case in 2015 but has been beset by a series of further legal issues including further accusations of assault.

Le Crystal, also known as the Crystal Lounge, describes itself as a 'VIP clubbing experience bang in the middle of Paris'.

Brown was discovered by a record label when he was a boy working at his father's gas station in Virginia.

First identified as a rapper, Brown has since found success with his rich singing voice.

He is best-known for hits in the 2000s such as 'Run It' and 'Kiss Kiss.' He retains a loyal fandom, including nearly 50 million followers on Instagram.

The outside of the Crystal Lounge in Paris, where Chris Brown is said to have met his alleged victim, is pictured today after the singer was arrested

A view inside Le Crystal nightclub where Chris Brown is said to have met a woman before allegedly taking her back to his hotel and attacking her