Earlier this week, Coronation Street actor Bruno Langley pleaded guilty to two sexual assault charges. And now he has offered a bizarre reason as to why he committed the crimes…
Mitigating in court, Langley’s lawyer, Simon Hancock, said that it was the stress of playing a gay character that led to the assaults on October 1.
“It was completely out of character. Something happened that night, most possibly in relation to the character he was playing.
“These two offences happened within one evening but are linked to alcohol. The result was despicable behaviour.”
A friend of Langley’s told The Sun: “Bruno played a high-profile gay character for 16 years. People often think he’s gay in real-life.
“He sometimes feels he needs to act more of a lad than he is to stop assumptions about his sexuality.”
Understandably, many were outraged by Langley’s excuse.
https://twitter.com/HeyCharlieShay/status/936235681910837249
https://twitter.com/Light_Yagami128/status/936233185742082049
No, sorry, you don't get to get away with claiming that the stress of playing a gay character whilst being straight caused you to assault two women. And if Bruno Langley didn't say that to his brief, he needs to fix it.
— Dave (@_cerberus_) November 29, 2017
Back in 2003, Langley’s Coronation Street character, Todd Grimshaw, became the soap’s first openly gay character in its then 43-year history.
The storyline was initially met with a mixed response as some commentators felt that the decision to make Todd gay was just a ploy for higher ratings. Others praised it for bringing Coronation Street into the “21st century”.
In recent years, the character has been the subject of several complaints, all do to with same-sex kisses. Thankfully, Ofcom rejected the complaints.
It was announced before the verdict that Langley would be leaving the soap, and his final scenes will air on December 24.
Langley was sentenced to a 12 month community order, placed on a sex offenders’ register for five years, and was ordered to pay both of his victims £250 each.
In his sentencing, the judge said: “On that evening your conduct was quite disgraceful and degrading. Both of the victims would have been extremely shocked and upset as a result of your conduct.
“The fact that you were heavily intoxicated is not mitigation, it is a further aggravating feature.
“You have lost your good name and I know nothing of showbusiness but I imagine in the current climate I suspect it may be very difficult for you to gain employment in that industry in the future.”
Latest
