HOLLYWOOD HILLS—Charges have been dropped against Terry Bryant, 47, who was captured on video stealing actress Frances McDormand’s Oscar during the 90th Academy Awards ceremony in March 2018. The case was dismissed by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta on Tuesday, August 20.
According to court records, there was no explanation for Judge Ohta’s granted defense motion. Bryant was initially scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday for charges of felony grand theft.
McDormand lost the statuette after leaving it to be engraved at the Governors Ball, where she won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in the drama “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.”
Video shows Bryant holding the statuette expressing, “Lookit baby, my team got this tonight. This is mine. We got it tonight, baby, Governors Ball, baby. Who wants to wish me congratulations?”
He was later arrested by authorities at 11:50 p.m. inside the Governors Ballroom inside the Hollywood and Highland complex. Bryant was detained by security after McDormand alerted security guards inside the venue that her Oscar was missing. Guards detained Bryant until authorities arrived on the scene to take him into custody.
Bryant could have faced a maximum sentence of three years in county jail if convicted as charged.
Written By Sanestina Hunter and Casey Jacobs
