Actor Gary Busey pleads guilty to sexual offence at horror convention
Busey entered a guilty plea to a single count of criminal sexual contact during a virtual hearing in state court in Camden on Thursday.
The actor had been accused of inappropriately touching at least three women at the Monster-Mania Convention at the Doubletree Hotel in Cherry Hill, a South Jersey town and suburb of Philadelphia.
Organisers of the event acknowledged at the time that an unnamed celebrity guest was 'removed from the convention and instructed not to return' and that affected attendees were encouraged to contact police.
Busey had been scheduled as a featured guest for all three days of the event. He was initially charged with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, one count of attempted criminal sexual contact and one count of harassment.
Busey's lawyer Blair Zwillman confirmed on Friday that the other charges were dropped as part of a plea deal reached with prosecutors. The actor faces up to five years' probation and fines when he is sentenced September 18.
'In my view Mr Busey was 'overcharged' probably based on his star status,' Mr Zwillman said in an email. 'He could have just as easily been charged with the disorderly persons offence of harassment by 'offensive touching'.'
Camden County prosecutors did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Friday.
Busey is widely known as a character actor, largely in supporting roles, though he came to attention and was nominated for an Oscar for best actor for playing the title role in the 1978 film The Buddy Holly Story.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
7 hours ago
- Metro
EastEnders' Patrick terrified with anxiety as he's released from hospital
EastEnders icon traumatised following shocking attack in his own home. EastEnders legend Patrick Trueman is left visibly shaken and deeply traumatised this week as he returns home from hospital following a brutal and unexpected attack that has left him riddled with anxiety. Patrick, played by the legendary Rudolph Walker, is clearly traumatised after being attacked in his own home. The once-cheerful, confident cornerstone of Albert Square now struggles to feel safe in the place he's always called home. It all starts when Patrick and Howie place a risky bet behind Yolande's back. The gamble pays off, and they walk away with £6,000, but the victory is short-lived. Yolande is furious when she finds out and calls off their wedding, leaving the household tense. While the family drown their sorrows at The Vic, trouble is quietly brewing at home. Oscar, desperate and foolish, breaks into No.20 to steal the winnings. But when Patrick unexpectedly catches him in the act, Oscar panics. In a split-second decision that would change everything, he shoves Patrick, who falls and hits the ground hard, leaving him unconscious and alone. Oscar, attempting to flee, is stopped in his tracks when Howie returns home to a nightmare. Oscar hides until he decides to make a run for it. Howie spots a figure fleeing, but can't make out who it is. Moments later, Kim and Denise walk in and find Patrick lying motionless on the floor. Panic sets in fast. Yolande and the family then rush to the hospital, where they wait helplessly for news, riddled with guilt and fear. For Yolande, the sight of Patrick fighting for his life is devastating. Their argument over the bet seemed suddenly meaningless as she fears she might lose the man she loves. Howie blames himself, while Kim and Denise are left reeling. More Trending But outside the hospital walls, suspicions were rising. Lauren begins to notice Oscar's strange and sketchy behaviour. When she confronts him, her worst fears are confirmed: Oscar has stolen Patrick's money and must be behind the attack. Patrick is released from the hospital, and with Yolande and Howie by his side, he returns home. But the attack has shaken him and knocked his confidence. View More » Will Patrick be able to move past the frightening event, or will it continue to haunt him? And will the truth come out about Oscar's involvement? MORE: EastEnders fan-favourite says tearful goodbye in early iPlayer release after unexpected incident MORE: Is Patrick leaving EastEnders as soap legend is left to die? MORE: All 25 soap spoilers for next week as Emmerdale legend returns to screens
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Destination X players thrown into chaos by next location – would you have got it from show clues?
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DESTINATION X players were left confused tonight after a series of clues and red herrings, but did you get it right? Rob Brydon is the host of the new BBC show, which sees a group of strangers try to figure out where they are in Europe through a series of clues in a bid to win £100,000. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Destination X contestants found themselves in chaos and confused over the next location Credit: BBC 5 The third episode saw the group split into two teams - and deception soon occurred Credit: PA Episode two ended with the Matterhorn being the destination, and Rob told viewers in tonight's episode that the bus was moving on to one of the five countries that borders with Switzerland. The windows of the bus are usually blacked out so the group can't get a steer on where they are, but at one point tonight, they were given the chance to look out and saw a roundabout with large red balls in the middle. The first clue had them thoroughly perplexed, but once they boarded a luxury train, they received more. Split into two teams, they headed into their respective carriages and saw a postcard with Oscar-winning actress Audrey Hepburn, a ticket stub with 'Oktober' written on it and a slip of paper with the word 'Dienstabteil' printed. Another postcard featured a print which player Saskia asked: "Do we think these are roads or vines or like a forest maybe?" Meanwhile a book had a stamp from the Bavarian State Library. The two teams then went head-to-head in a challenge onboard the train, with the winning group receiving the chance to go into a glass sided carriage to discover more clues. The team that won consisted of Josh, Judith and Saskia, and when they reached the carriage they saw they were moving through a forest. The train slowed down for them to see a number of new clues, which included a sign reading 'Donau' and a group of naturists eating large sausages and drinking from big glass beer steins. Meanwhile in the carriage, there was a football magazine with Harry Kane on the front which read 'Harry Kane strikes again' . Fans stunned as THREE Destination X contestants are immediately axed in brutal opening twist The clues all lead to Germany, and the winning team were convinced it was Munich, but decided to throw some red herrings into the mix when they returned to the others, and suggest what they had seen was pointing to Dortmund. But what did you think? The episode featured a brutal twist which saw the three players who failed to make it onto the bus in episode one return in a bid to try and win a spot on board. LOSING GAME After a series of head-to-heads with Ben, James and Nick from the losing team, James was sent home there and then. The remaining players then entered their guesses for Destination X into the computer, before Rob revealed the results. It turned out Ben had been furthest from the actual location and would be leaving too. And if you had guessed Munich, you were correct! Well done! Destination X continues tomorrow night at 9pm on BBC One. 5 England footballer Harry Kane featured among the clues Credit: BBC 5 Contestants analysed ticket stubs to try and figure out the location Credit: BBC
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Catherine Zeta-Jones, 55, brings a young family member onto the carpet for the first time, can you guess who she is?
Catherine Zeta-Jones has been stunning in hyper glamorous outfits while promoting her new season of her smash-hit series Wednesday around the world this summer. At one of her splashy events, the 55-year-old Oscar-winning actress brought along a special someone as her plus one. It was a young girl who is a member of her family. The child wore a black dress with gold sandals, glasses and her blonde hair down in curls as she beamed for the camera. It was not her daughter Carys Douglas whose father is Catherine's movie star husband Michael Douglas. Can you guess who the cute tot is? It's Catherine's 10-year-old niece Ava Zeta. Zeta-Jones has an older brother, David, and a younger brother, Lyndon; it is not known which relative Ava is linked to. The movie icon and the child were seen holding hands on July 30 at Central Hall, Westminster in London, England. Catherine looked every inch a Hollywood glamour queen in a Stephane Rolland dress with Yeprem jewelry. The Traffic star has a close bond with her young niece and has shared photos and videos of her on Instagram over the years. In 2021, she posted a cute video of Ava talking in Welsh; Catherine grew up in Wales. 'Welsh in Spain. Ava Zeta is in the house. Hours of fun. Love you Ava,' she captioned the clip. Ava even referred to Catherine as her Auntie Catherine in a video where she delivered a mock acceptance speech with Catherine's Oscar trophy. The Instagram post features Ava holding on to the Best Supporting Actress statuette, which Zeta-Jones won in 2003 for Chicago, as she thanked the people closest to her. 'Thank you so much! I would like to thank my mommy, my daddy, my nanny and my Auntie Catherine,' Ava said. 'My niece Ava Zeta with the perfect acceptance speech. So well deserved!' Zeta-Jones wrote next to the video. Zeta-Jones wed Douglas at the Plaza Hotel in New York City in 2000. They have two children: son Dylan Michael, born in August 2000, and daughter Carys Zeta, born in April 2003. Wednesday's second season will debut on Netflix on August 6 with the second part arriving on September 3. In May the silver screen goddess celebrated Carys' college graduation. Catherine shared a snap where she and Douglas were kissing Carys on both cheeks as she marked the end of her studies at Brown University in Rhode Island. Catherine captioned the picture: 'The night before graduation!!!! We are both such proud parents right now!! It's only just begun!!' The proud mom went on to share several Instagram stories including footage of their daughter in her graduation robes. Catherine and Carys also held hands for a sweet moment where they kissed each other again on the cheek. The occasion, which saw Carys obtain a degree in Film and International Relations from the prestigious Ivy League school, was also celebrated with a carrot cake. Catherine and Michael share two children together, Carys, and her brother Dylan, 24, and they are both following in the acting footsteps of their famous parents Last October Michael shared snaps with his daughter Carys as he visited her at college. Proud Michael posted a heartwarming picture on Instagram at the time, posing with his daughter against a beautiful autumn backdrop on campus. He captioned the post: 'Visiting my daughter Carys at school on a fall Sunday!,' alongside a heart emoji. Carys was quick to comment as she penned: 'I had the best time with you Dadda.' Catherine and Michael share two children together, Carys, and her brother Dylan, 24, and they are both following in the acting footsteps of their famous parents. Acting is a prominent part of Michael's family background; he is the son of legendary actor Kirk Douglas and actress Diana Dill. While Dylan has a short resume on IMDb, he still remains in the spotlight - he hosts Young American with Dylan Douglas, a 'Gen Z powered political talk show.'
