Chris Brown denies smoking near daughter Royalty

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Chris Brown denied smoking near daughter Royalty in a since-deleted post Sunday on Instagram.

The 26-year-old singer insisted "no one smokes around [his] daughter" after Royalty's mom, Nia Guzman, claimed Brown gave the 20-month-old toddler asthma with his secondhand smoke.

Brown told fans he quit smoking cigarettes as a New Year's resolution and that he "would never ever put [Royalty] in a position that will harm her." He is continuing to battle Guzman over child support, and dismissed her allegations as "a play to get some sort of increased income."

Guzman, who claimed Brown and his friends smoke cigarettes and weed near Royalty in court documents obtained by TMZ, wants to restrict the singer's visitation rights, prohibit him from using alcohol or drugs around Royalty, and implement random drug tests.

Brown discovered he fathered Royalty in March when she was already 9 months old, causing then-girlfriend Karrueche Tran to end their relationship. He won joint custody of the toddler in September, but Guzman is still seeking a $12,500 per month increase in child support.

Brown last released Royalty, in December, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and includes the singles "Liquor" and "Zero." The singer's song "Only" is nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2016 Grammys, but he criticized the awards show Friday on Twitter.

"#Grammy? This is probably the main reason I love being free to create any kind of music I want. Too many people kiss [expletive] and work less," he wrote. He also said the Grammys "used to mean something" but no longer do in a since-deleted tweet.