Busta Rhymes Sentenced to Time Served in Protein Shake Incident

Busta Rhymes was required to attend anger management classes after altercation with gym employee. (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rapper Busta Rhymes pleaded guilty to a non-criminal harassment charge on Friday for throwing a protein drink at an employee at a New York City gym, prosecutors said.

Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Tahiem Smith Jr., was arrested in August and charged with felony assault on suspicion of throwing a cardboard cup containing strawberry-flavored health shake at the head of a Steel Gym employee.

Rhymes’ plea agreement came on the condition that he attend anger management classes, which he has done.

The New York County District Attorney’s Office reduced the charge after further investigation and based on the limited nature of the worker’s injury, prosecutors said.

Police in the days following the incident said Rhymes and the employee also threw water at each other and had a longstanding dispute over undisclosed matters.

“As I said when Busta was arrested, criminal charges in this instance was a bunch of bull, especially a felony,” Rhymes’ attorney, Scott Leemon, said in a statement.

Leemon said his client was happy to put the episode behind him.

(Reporting by Laila Kearney)