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Home Alone star Devin Ratray accused of rape

Actor was arrested for an alleged domestic assault in an unrelated case last year

Louis Chilton
Thursday 25 August 2022 09:01 BST
Home Alone - trailer

Home Alone star Devin Ratray has been accused of rape by a friend, according to a report in the US.

Ratray played Buzz McCallister, the older brother of Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin, in the hit 1990 family film. He later appeared in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and the recent reboot Home Sweet Home Alone, as well as films such as Hustlers and Kimi.

Last December, Ratray was arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend while in Oklahoma for a fan convention. He was later released on bond and pleaded not guilty.

According to a report by CNN, a woman named Lisa Smith, a former friend of Ratray, contacted proescutors after learning of Ratray’s arrest, inquiring about a police report she filed in 2017.

Smith claimed that she had been friends with Ratray for about 15 years before the alleged incident took place.

She alleged to CNN that on the night of 21 September 2017, she had gone back to Ratray’s New York CIty apartment along with her brother and another friend.

Smith claimed that Ratray poured drinks, and seemed “intent” that she drink from a specific glass, which she believes was spiked. After encouraging her to stay the night and sleep on his couch, Ratray then sexually assaulted her, according to Smith’s allegations.

According to Smith, Ratay denied the rape in a text message exchange the following day, claiming that he was unable to have sex because he is impotent.

Speaking to CNN, Ratray denied the rape allegation, and said the two did not have sex.

A few weeks after the incident is alleged to have taken place, Smith filed a report with police. As part of the investigation, she provided them with the clothes she was wearing on the night of the alleged incident for DNA testing.

Devin Ratray photographed in 2019 (Getty Images for STXfilms / Alex)

It is claimed that the investigation was closed after detectives mistakenly believed she did not want to press charges.

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Ratray has not been charged in connection to Smith’s allegations.

However, the Manhattan Distrct Attorney’s Office has confirmed that they are “in touch” with Smith after she got in contact with prosecutors again this year.

“The Manhattan DA’s Office takes sexual assault very seriously, and our door is always open,” a spokesperso told Metro.co.uk in a statement.

“Prosecutors and counselors from our Office’s Sex Crimes Unit are in touch with this survivor. We urge any survivors of sexual assault to call our Sex Crimes Hotline at 212-335-9373.”

The Independent has contacted a representative of Ratray for comment.

If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, you can contact your nearest Rape Crisis organisation for specialist, independent and confidential support. For more information, visit their website here.

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