You might have heard that an Ugly Betty actor is suspected of murdering his own mother with a samurai sword in Brooklyn.
That's partially true. Michael Brea, a New York small-time actor is in custody for the gruesome slaying. But ABC is doing its darndest to distance itself from the suspect, insisting he only had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in the show, calling him "just a guy in the background."
A guy in the background allegedly responsible for a horrific rampage...
According to the NYPD, Brea, 31, was overheard screaming bible passages and yelling "repent" during a confrontation with his mother, Yanick Brea, 55. Shortly after, she was found dead of multiple stab wounds.
"EMS responded and prounounced her dead at the scene," said a police spokesman. Brea, who also had a bit part in Step Up 3D, was taken into custody at the scene and transported to the hospital.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said that Brea was holding a Bible when cops arrived at the bloody scene.
Initial reports, looking to amp up the already gruesome crime with a Hollywood angle, latched on to the Brea's biggest claim to fame. His onetime appearance on Ugly Betty.
ABC, however, doesn't want anything to do with it, with a network rep telling E! News that the news is "incredibly sad" but "he's just a guy in the background on one episode."
Adds the rep: "This really has nothing to do with Ugly Betty."