Actor Gary Busey was charged with sexual offenses stemming from incidents that happened at the Monster Mania Convention in New Jersey, police said Saturday.
Busey, 78, was charged with two counts of criminal sexual contact, one count of attempted criminal sexual contact, and one count of harassment, according to Cherry Hill police.
Officers were called to the Doubletree Hotel, where the convention was held Aug. 12 through Aug. 14 "for the report of a sex offense," a Facebook statement reads.
As a result of the investigation, Busey was charged Friday. It's not clear if he has an attorney to comment on the charges, and NBC News could not immediately reach his representatives.
The Monster Mania Convention is an event celebrating horror film and memorabilia. He was scheduled as a featured guest for all three days of the event, the Associated Press reported.
Monster-Mania said in a post that it was assisting authorities in their investigation into the allegations.
"Immediately upon receiving a complaint from the attendees, the celebrity guest was removed from the convention and instructed not to return," the post stated. "Monster-Mania also encouraged the attendees to contact the police to file a report."
Busey's acting career flourished in the 1970s ("The Buddy Holly Story," which earned him an Academy Award nomination, "Big Wednesday") and 1980s ("Lethal Weapon," "48 Hours"). His performances in the '90s ("Point Break," "Under Siege") proved he had staying power.
He sustained severe cranial damage in a 1988 motorcycle accident but recovered.
In 2012 Busey filed for bankruptcy protection. Court documents cited as a potential liability money he may have owed a woman who alleged he attacked her at a Tulsa airport the year before.
In a 2018 NBC News THINK piece, the actor said a prospective manager in the 1970s introduced him to cocaine, which helped send him on a journey of drug dependence.
Busey appears to have maintained self awareness about his struggles with substance abuse. In the TV show "American Dad," he performed his own voice for his character's appearance, which portrayed the actor as alcohol-dependent.After an overdose in 1995, Busey stopped doing the drug and had been sober from cocaine for 25 years, he said in the interview.
etheralmiasma on August 20th, 2022 at 22:52 UTC »
I was at Monster Mania, we go twice a year, and there were rumors floating around that he was no longer available for pics and autographs for getting too handsy. It appears to be true.
personalhale on August 20th, 2022 at 22:04 UTC »
I always have to remind myself that Nick Nolte isn't Gary Busey.
Trumps_neck_vagina on August 20th, 2022 at 21:22 UTC »
This guy is a walking PSA for why you should always wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle.
“I hit the concrete going 45 miles per hour… I hit a little sand and gravel, fish-tailed, hit my rear brake, and I smashed [headfirst into the concrete curb], and I don’t remember seven weeks of my life. I was in the hospital for two months… I’d split my skull, scraped the temple side of my brain.”
Gary “The Masochist” Busey