Disney Channel star Kyle Massey is speaking publicly for the first time about the criminal sexual misconduct charges against him.
Massey, who starred in Disney’s 2000s-era shows “That’s So Raven” and its spinoff, “Cory in the House,” is facing charges of immoral contact with a minor in Washington state. He’s accused of sending sexually explicit videos, photos, and texts to a 13-year-old girl between December 2018 and January 2019, according to charging documents — a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
“I’ve been silenced,” Massey, 31, told Law&Crime’s Brian Buckmire in an exclusive interview. “I’ve been quiet and I’ve been keeping to myself for many, many years now […] we’re going on six years that I’ve been dealing with this, and I haven’t made any public statements regarding it or any updates.”
“I just need the world to hear and understand what’s really going on,” Massey added.
The charges appear to be linked to a short-lived California civil case filed in March 2019 by the minor’s mother against Massey claiming intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence for alleged violations of the penal code that prohibit various types of sexual contact with minors. That case, which sought $1.5 million in damages, was dropped in December of that year after the mother’s lawyer withdrew his representation because she “continuously failed to respond” to his efforts to communicate with her, the court filing dropping the case stated.
Massey appears to have never filed a response to the complaint in that case.
The criminal charges in Washington state stem from the mother contacting the King County Sheriff’s Office in February 2022.
Massey told Buckmire that he is the victim and he claims that the child’s mother had sexually assaulted him.
“The truth about my relationship with that mother is that that mother had an inappropriate sexual relationship with me since I was a kid when I was 15,” Massey said, adding that the woman “did a multitude of different things,” including bringing him to hotel rooms and giving him alcohol.
“This was one of the hardest moments in my life because the person that molested, raped, took advantage of me when I was a child is now painting me as the predator,” Massey told Buckmire. “And it’s just like mind-blowing.”
Massey’s lawyer Ariel Mitchell provided additional details, saying that Massey had met the mother in California in 2007 — two years before the mother says they met and when Massey was 15.
Mitchell said that while Massey is accused of positioning himself as a “father figure” to the daughter, it was actually the mother who wanted Massey to play that role.
“Even in the police statement, [the mother] says Mr. Massey was promising her — the mother — to marry her, the mother, and for them to move,” Mitchell said, providing an anecdote from a potential witness who claims to have heard from the mother that her “intent was to get that Disney money and […] to get impregnated by Mr. Massey.”
Mitchell also described the communications between the mother and Massey as “very one-sided,” coming largely from the mother.
As for his interactions with the daughter, Massey said it has long been his practice to try to support aspiring actors and artists.
“And I did it just out of the grace of my heart, just because I know how much I’ve been helped along my path,” Massey added, noting that he had also received help along the way. “I didn’t just do this on my own, you know? So I’m the type of person where I’m not selfish. I, you know, I like to see people reach heights. So that’s what I would do. So as far as this girl, the whole me helping her situation was she was just another person that I was trying to help.”
Massey said that his early stardom sparked an interest in helping others succeed.
Kyle Massey talks exclusively with Law&Crime about the charges against him.
“I’ve been famous since I was 8 years old, okay? Eight,” Massey said. “When you’re a 16-year-old superstar and you’re the most famous African American in America, you’re going to meet 12-year-olds with dreams […] And a lot of those people have flown and they touch the stars with my help and with my guidance.”
Massey recalled feeling shattered when he heard that he was facing criminal charges, describing a surreal experience of realizing that he was making international headlines.
“That was like a huge, huge dagger […] especially [for] somebody like myself,” Massey said. “I’ve made a career off of working in children’s television, creating opportunities for African Americans to be in these big league moments. So that hit me like a ton of bricks.”
Massey did acknowledge accidentally sending the daughter what Mitchell described as an “inadvertent disclosure” that was not meant for the child.
“There was some accidental communication where there was … something sent,” Mitchell said. “And then right after [it] was ‘that wasn’t for you’ type of situation. But that was it.”
Mitchell and Massey said that the King County docket reflecting his arrest in Washington state contains a massive inaccuracy: he never was arrested.
“The date and time that they claim they arrested me, I just so happened to be filming a TV show with the production timestamp in front of 200 witnesses,” Massey said, after claiming that Kings County has not provided documentation, such as a booking photo or fingerprinting record, that would reflect his alleged arrest.
“After that, they basically used that fake arrest to get me my court date that I didn’t show up to that got me to my warrant,” Massey added, referring to the $100,000 bench warrant as a “bounty.”
When reached by Law&Crime, the King County Sheriff’s Office deferred comment to the prosecutor’s office.
“The King County Sheriff’s Office completed our investigation in 2020 and referred the case to the King County Prosecutor’s Office,” police told Law&Crime.
Mitchell said that the arrest that Massey stated never happened isn’t the only problem with the King County criminal case.
“At this juncture, I don’t think they’ve met their probable cause burden,” Mitchell said, after noting that discovery has not revealed the alleged communications between her client and the girl. Mitchell also said that prosecutors have not shown that the alleged communications took place in Washington state, meaning that the King County prosecutors don’t even have jurisdiction.
Mitchell says that she believes Massey, who is Black, is being targeted not only because of his fame but because of his race.
“King County, Washington is a very, very small Black community,” Mitchell said. “However, of course, they have a disproportionate amount of Black people who they investigate and arrest.”
The King County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately return Law&Crime’s request for comment on the case.
Massey says that he has lost “millions of dollars” in TV and endorsement deals as a result of his arrest, and indicated that he may file a civil lawsuit in the future.
Law&Crime attempted to contact the alleged victim’s mother in this case but received no response.
You can watch all of Buckmire’s exclusive interview with Massey in the video above.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
