‘Empire’ Star Pleads Guilty in Felony Domestic Violence Case

Empire actor Bryshere Gray will serve jail time after he entered a guilty plea in his domestic violence case. The actor, who starred as Hakeem Lyon on the Fox musical drama, pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault in connection to his July 2020 arrest for an incident involving his wife. It is unclear when Gray entered the plea.

As part of his plea agreement, Gray, 27, has been sentenced to 10 days in a county jail and three years probation, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ. The actor will also not be allowed to consume illegal drugs and will have to submit to drugs and alcohol testing during his probation. He will not be allowed to possess any stun guns, tasers, or other firearms throughout his probation and will be required to contact his probation officer within 72 hours of being contacted by law enforcement. He will need written approval from police to associate with anyone who has a criminal record. As part of the deal, Gray, also known by the stage name Yazz the Greatest, will have to enroll in a domestic violence offender treatment program and must also pay restitution to his victim.

The guilty plea follows the actor’s July arrest. Gray was taken into police custody following a brief standoff with police at his home in Goodyear, Arizona after authorities received a 911 call about a woman who said she had been assaulted for several hours by her husband. She named Gray as the suspect and identified herself as his wife. The call had been made by a citizen the woman flagged down at a nearby gas station for help, according to a press release at the time. The Goodyear Police Department said the woman bore visible injuries and alleged Gray choked her to the point where she lost consciousness. The woman was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital, and a SWAT team and crisis negotiations were called in to assist in Gray’s arrest after the actor refused to come out of his home. Gray eventually surrendered to officers and was charged with a felony count of aggravated assault and two misdemeanor counts of domestic violence and disorderly conduct, according to USA Today.

Gray had previously been arrested in June 2019 on a misdemeanor registration charge after a temporary license plate didn’t match the 2014 Rolls Royce he was driving. He was released shortly after his arrest and ticketed for driving an uninsured vehicle and failure to carry a driver’s license. The actor appeared in all 102 episodes of Empire. His other credits include Sprinter, Canal Street, and Honey: Rise Up and Dance.