The man who is accused of jacking Frances McDormand’s Oscar has pleaded not guilty.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Terry Bryant made his first court appearance Wednesday in L.A., where he faced a charge of felony grand theft. The LAPD arrested the 47-year-old man Sunday night, shortly after he allegedly stole McDormand’s Best Actress trophy at the post-Oscars Governors Ball. But Bryant’s lawyer insists her client was just executing a publicity stunt.
As previously reported, Bryant was seen posing with the statuette during a Facebook Live broadcast he had shared on his personal account. Yes, he actually posted video evidence of his alleged crime, which is why attorney Daniel Brookman argues that his client had no intention of actually stealing the award.
According to several reports, McDormand said she didn’t want to press charges against Bryant; however, McDormand wasn’t technically the victim in this crime. The Academy was.
As pointed out by L.A. Times, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the legal owner of all Oscar trophies, while the winners are given “rights of possession.”
“Rule 10 of the Academy requires that owners of awards first offer to sell the statuette back to the Academy for $1 before disposing of it by any other means,” the publication reports.
Bryant is due back in court on March 28. He is still being held at L.A. County Jail on a $20,000 bail.
