Devin Ratray, the actor best known for playing Kevin McAllister’s older brother Buzz in the “Home Alone” movies, has pleaded guilty and accepted a deferred sentence in order to avoid jail time in his yearslong domestic violence case.
The 47-year-old actor was charged in 2021 after he allegedly choked and punched his then-girlfriend, Jessica Rogers, at an Oklahoma City hotel.
On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to two counts of domestic violence — one felony count of domestic assault and battery by strangulation, and a misdemeanor count of domestic assault and battery.
Under the ruling, Oklahoma County District Judge Kathryn Savage sentenced Ratray to three years’ probation on the felony count and one year for the misdemeanor. He must also participate in a batterers intervention program and undergo a drug and alcohol assessment. He has already completed anger management training.
If Ratray abides by the conditions of his deferred sentence — which also includes having zero contact with the victim and paying hundreds of dollars in fees — the criminal conviction will be removed from his record.
Ratray’s guilty plea and sentencing came a month after a jury trial in Oklahoma was called off after the actor was hospitalized in New York for heart issues. The LaGuardia High School alum was allowed to submit his plea from New York City via video under doctor’s orders.
On Dec. 9, 2021, Ratray and Rogers were in Oklahoma City attending a fan convention, after which they went to dinner where he consumed a bottle of wine. They later relocated to a local bar, where Ratray allegedly downed at least 10 more shots, according to a court affidavit.
While at the bar, two female fans approached the couple and asked for Ratray’s autograph. But the actor allegedly became enraged when Rogers gave the women presigned cards for free (valued at $50) instead of making them pay.
Rogers told authorities that she and Ratray began to argue upon returning to their hotel room. She claimed he began to strangle her and only stopped when she bit his hand, after which he then allegedly punched her.
Now living in Canada, Rogers was not present for Ratray’s guilty plea on Wednesday, but wrote a statement read by the prosecutor.
“I am relieved that this chapter in my life is coming to an end but the scars and trauma will never fully heal,” she wrote via email. “No one should have to endure the fear and pain that I’ve experienced at the hands of someone they once cared for. … I hope that by speaking out and sharing my story, I can encourage others to seek help and speak out against domestic violence. I want to send a message that abusers will face consequences for their actions and that victims deserve to be heard and believed.”
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