Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicOne of Disney’s biggest holiday legends is going to jail after pleading guilty to charges of domestic violence.
Disney has always done a fantastic job when it comes to ringing in the holiday spirit. Whether you are in the parks, like Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, watching the snoap fall on Main Street, U.S.A., while you look at the giant Christmas tree before seeing Cinderella Castle lit up with holiday decor, or you are snuggled up at home with a warm drink scrolling though the holiday selection on Disney+, Disney has always made it so that the Christmas spirit is around every turn for fans.
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One of the most popular movies that has come from the Disney canon is Home Alone, the tale of what happens when the McAlister family accidentally leaves their son Kevin at home during their Christmas holiday, over and over again. Now, Devin Ratray, who plays the infamous big brother bully Buzz in Home Alone has pleaded guilty to charges of domestic violence that arose in 2021.
As noted by TMZ, “The actor pleaded guilty to two counts of domestic violence Wednesday … which finally brought the case to a close after it’d been pending for nearly 3 years.” This new plea deal has made it so that Ratray faces no jail time.
TMZ continued, “he’ll just be on probation for the next 3 years … while also being ordered to complete a Batterers Intervention Program and undergo a drug/alcohol assessment. Devin — who appeared via video link with his attorney — is also required to cover court costs and have zero contact with the victim.”
In 2021, Devin was arrested after he was accused of pushing, punching and pressing his hands against his ex-GF’s throat and mouth during a drunk altercation, which is what has lead to this guilty plea. That being said, he initially did not plead guilty back in February of 2022. The trial was actually meant to be held earlier this year, but Devin ended up in the hospital and, under doctors’ orders, was told he needed to rest upon release, pushing back the case that already had a jury picked. It appears that Devin has fully recovered at this time, but it was said he was in critical condition at one point.
In paperwork for his guilty plea, he admitted he choked his then-girlfriend on December 9, 2021. He admitted he had punched her “after a short break” when they got into another argument. They were staying at the Hyatt Place in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown.
The victim, Jessica Rogers, gave police a different account, saying he strangled her with one hand during the argument and kept the other over her mouth. She told police he stopped when she bit his hand, and then he punched her.
“While strangling the victim, defendant stated the following: ‘This is how you die,'” an Oklahoma City police detective reported in a court affidavit.
Rogers lives in Canada and did not attend the sentencing on Wednesday. A prosecutor read an emailed statement from her in court after Ratray pleaded guilty.
“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 in the email. “No one should have to endure the fear and and pain that I’ve experienced at the hands of someone they once cared for. I want to make it clear that even one incident of domestic abuse is one too many. No one should ever have to endure the physical and emotional abuse that I went through. 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.”
Devin starred in Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and Home Sweet Home Alone, where he reprised his role of Buzz, now as an adult cop who was meant to protect another “bandit” situation. Sadly, it seems this Christmas Disney legend has gone sour.
What do you think of Devin Ratray’s sentence?