Former Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. admitted Tuesday to attacking his ex-girlfriend during a fight in a New York City hotel room — as he took a plea deal to avoid jail time.
Porter, 23, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and harassment charges stemming from a scuffle with former WNBA player Kyrie Gondrezick on September 11, 2023, ending months in custody with Manhattan prosecutors. hit.
The former NBA star fired by the Rockets following domestic violence allegations must complete a 26-week counseling program and comply with a limited restraining order, an assistant district attorney said during a hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court. Mila Caser revealed.
Prosecutors said that if Mr. Porter successfully completes the program and stays out of trouble for a year, the assault charges will be dropped and police will be able to investigate only the violation, harassment.
The professional baseball player, wearing a black wool jacket and light blue jeans, said nothing after leaving the courtroom.
His lawyer, Philip Jobe, said in a statement that Porter was looking forward to putting the incident behind him and moving on.
“This resolution would allow Mr. Porter to set aside this case with false felony charges and false facts and move forward without a criminal record,” Jobe said.
After his arrest, prosecutors say Porter allegedly punched Gondrezick, 26, repeatedly in the face and strangled her until she could no longer breathe at the four-star Millennium Hilton New York hotel in Times Square. announced.
Gondrezick fled the hotel room and was found bloody and bruised by hotel staff, according to the criminal complaint.
Porter was charged with numerous charges, including strangulation, and could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison.
However, the prosecution's case lost momentum when they dropped one of the assault charges against Porter and admitted that he did not break his then-girlfriend's neck in the fight.
Gondrezick told the Post that her injuries were inconsistent with prosecutors' claims and accused the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and police of covering up what happened.
“He didn't hit me. He never raised his fist and hit me,” Gondrezick said at the time. “And he definitely didn't punch me in the face over and over again. That's a lie. I didn't have any injuries to support that.”
Porter's rise in the NBA hit a nadir when the Rockets learned of the abuse allegations and traded him to the Thunder, who promptly waived him.
Porter signed a four-year, $82.5 million extension in 2022, but remains without the team.
