Bryshere Y. Gray, who played Hakeem Lyon on the TV show Empire, is once again in legal trouble. This time, he’s facing a charge for assault and battery after an alleged fight in Chesapeake, Virginia.
According to WAVY, the 31-year-old actor wasn’t arrested by the police directly. Instead, a private citizen filed the charge against him.
Gray is now facing one count of misdemeanor assault and battery.
The person who filed the complaint is Dustin Wilkins, also known as Chosen Wilkins. He says that after a heated argument with Gray on Friday, things turned physical. He claims Gray attacked him from behind.
Reports say Gray was arrested on Sunday, June 15, but he has already been released on bond.
According to the arrest warrant, the fight started when Wilkins tried to stop Gray from leaving without paying. “I was telling him he couldn’t just leave. I reminded him that he already had enough problems, and I was trying to help,” Wilkins said. He described how Gray suddenly ran at him from around a car and hit him with his shoulder while Wilkins was recording the scene on his phone.
Even after the incident, Wilkins didn’t speak badly about Gray. He said Gray is not a bad person but is struggling with mental health issues.
“There was a mental health situation,” Wilkins explained. “I can’t go into the details, but I can say Bryshere is my friend—he’s like a brother. He just needs help dealing with what he’s going through.”
Wilkins also believes that jail is not the right place for Gray. “He wouldn’t make it in jail. He needs proper mental health treatment,” he added.
Gray is set to appear in court for his arraignment on Wednesday, June 18.
This is not the first time Gray has had legal issues. In 2020, he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife in Arizona. That incident led to a long standoff with police and ended with Gray getting 10 days in jail and three years of probation for felony aggravated assault.
Later that same year, he was involved in another incident described as a “food fight” at a 7-Eleven.
In 2022, Gray was reportedly arrested once more for breaking the rules of his probation.
