Cliff Notes – Gary Busey’s sentence revealed after pleading guilty to criminal sexual contact
- Gary Busey has been sentenced to two years’ probation after pleading guilty to criminal sexual misconduct related to an incident at a New Jersey horror film convention in August 2022.
- The actor faced multiple charges, including groping allegations from several women, but entered a plea agreement that resulted in the dismissal of other charges.
- Busey, who has a history of legal issues and personal struggles, has 45 days to appeal the sentence and seek probation transfer to California.
Gary Busey’s sentence revealed after pleading guilty to criminal sexual contact
Gary Busey pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct (Picture: Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Gary Busey has been sentenced to two years’ probation after admitting to groping a woman at a New Jersey horror film convention.
The 81-year-old actor and Celebrity Big Brother winner pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal sexual misconduct in July, and he was handed his sentence during a virtual court appearance on Thursday.
The charge related to an incident at the Monster-Mania Con in August 2022.
Busey was accused of groping several women who filed reports with the police, and the Lethal Weapon star was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact in the fourth degree, one count of attempting criminal sexual contact in the fourth degree, and one disorderly conduct count of harassment.
As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, the other charges against Busey were dropped, and he pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal sexual misconduct.
According to the New York Times, Busey’s lawyer, Blair Zwillman, said afterwards: ‘Mr. Busey is pleased that the case has been resolved and that he can go on with his life without any continuing, daily public adversity.’
Busey pleaded guilty over the summer (Picture: CourtTV)
He won Celebrity Big Brother in 2014 (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Busey now has 45 days to appeal the sentence and have his probation transferred from New Jersey to his home state of California.
The actor had previously spoken out against the groping accusation and insisted it wasn’t true, telling TMZ in 2022: ‘None of that happened.’
While Busey is often remembered for his Oscar-nominated portrayal of rock-and-roll pioneer Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story (1978), his later career has been overshadowed by troubling legal and personal issues.
He has amassed over 100 credits in film and television, frequently appearing in offbeat or villainous roles in films such as Lethal Weapon, Point Break, and Under Siege.
The Hollywood star almost died from a cocaine overdose in 1995 (Picture: Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images)
It is not the first time that the Oscar-nominated actor – who suffered permanent brain damage in a 1988 motorcycle accident – has fallen foul of the law.
He previously faced drug charges in 1995 after being hospitalised following a near-fatal cocaine overdose.
He was also previously arrested on suspicion of spousal abuse and was accused of sexual assault by a female employee when he took part in Celebrity Apprentice in 2011.
He’s known for his roles in the likes of Point Break (Picture: Moviestore/Shutterstock)
Busey’s son Luke previously recalled how the motorcycle accident completely changed his father’s personality after he underwent brain surgery to recover from his serious injuries.
He told The Hollywood Reporter: ‘At 17, I had to teach him with my mom to talk, to eat, to feed himself. To walk again. To write. That was very difficult for me at that age.
‘The post-accident version of him turned his personality up to 11. I feel like I lost my dad on December 4, 1988.’