Former Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. admitted to assaulting his ex-girlfriend during a fight in a New York City hotel room — as he broke a plea deal that would have helped him avoid jail time.
Porter, 23, ended her months-long standoff with Manhattan prosecutors when she pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and harassment charges — stemming from her fight with former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick on Sept. 11, 2023.
The former NBA star, who was waived by the Rockets following allegations of domestic violence, must complete a 26-week counseling program and abide by a limited restraining order, Assistant District Attorney Mirah Curzer revealed during the Manhattan Criminal Court hearing.
If Porter successfully completes the program and stays out of trouble for a year, he can withdraw his plea to the assault and police charges only for harassment, which is a misdemeanor, prosecutors said.
Former Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. admitted on Tuesday to assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Steven Hirsch
The professional footballer, who was wearing a black fur jacket and light blue jeans, did not speak after leaving the courtroom.
His lawyer, Phillip Jobe, said in a statement that Porter was eager to put the incident behind him and move forward.
“The resolution will allow Mr. Porter to put this incident, which involved false criminal allegations and false facts, behind him without a criminal record and move forward,” Jobe said.
Prosecutors said after his arrest that Porter allegedly repeatedly punched Gondrezick, 26, in the face and choked him until he could not breathe in the attack at New York’s four-star Millennium Hilton Hotel in Times Square.
Porter Jr. was traded by the Rockets in October after the allegations came to light. Getty Images Porter Jr. seen brought in for trial in September. Gabriella Bass
Gondrezick allegedly fled the hotel room and was found bloodied and bruised by hotel staff, according to the criminal complaint.
Porter was charged with multiple charges, including strangulation, punishable by up to seven years in prison.
But prosecutors’ case lost steam when they dropped one of the assault raps against Porter — admitting that he didn’t break his then-girlfriend’s neck in the fight.
Speaking to The Post, Gondrezick said her injuries did not match what prosecutors alleged, and blamed the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the police for obsessing over what happened.
Porter Jr. attack Kysre Gondrezick on September 11, 2023. Getty Images for Vogue Porter Jr. pleaded guilty to assault and harassment charges in court Tuesday. Steven Hirsch
“He didn’t hit me. He never raised his fist and hit me,” Gondrezick said at the time. “And he sure didn’t punch me in the face so many times. That is a scam. I don’t have any injuries to back it up.”
Porter’s rise in the NBA went downhill when the Rockets learned of the abuse allegations and dumped him in a trade with the Thunder, who then promptly waived him.
Porter signed a four-year, $82.5 million extension in 2022 and remains without a team.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
