Veteran character actor Gary Busey, 78, was reportedly charged Friday with sexual offenses following his recent appearance at the Monster Mania Convention in the Philadelphia suburb of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Busey was scheduled to appear as a guest at the convention for all three days — from August 12 through August 14 — and a number of Instagram photos prove that he was, in fact, in attendance.
But following the event, Cherry Hill police charged an unnamed “78-year-old Malibu, California resident” with two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, one count of attempted criminal sexual contact and one count of harassment — and multiple sources that confirmed that Busey was suspect who was charged.
According to a report from The Associated Press, the charges stem from incidents that allegedly occurred during the convention — but police did not offer details clarifying what exactly led to the charges being filed.
Cherry Hill police have not indicated whether the charges stem from a single report or from multiple reports, and have asked anyone who might have tips or information to contact Detective Robert Daniello as the investigation continues.
The actor, who is most known for playing supporting roles, received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role in 1978’s “The Buddy Holly Story.”
Busey has been the subject of at least one similar accusation in the past. According to a 2017 report from The Daily Beast, a female staffer on former President Donald Trump’s successful NBC series “The Apprentice” accused Busey of groping her while they were outside smoking. Several other “Apprentice” employees reportedly confirmed her story — and added that Trump was aware that it had happened but kept Busey on the show anyway.
“We were smoking cigarettes outside, and Busey was standing next to me. And then at one point, he grabbed me firmly between my legs, and ran his hand up my stomach, and grabbed my breasts,” the woman claimed. “I didn’t know what to do. So I made this joke that, ‘Oh, I’ve never been sexually harassed by a celebrity before!’ Then he grabbed my hand and put it [over] his penis, and said, like, ‘I’m just getting started, baby.'”