Judge Denies Ryan Idol a New Trial, Levies 12 Year Sentence

SAN FRANCISCO — Sacramento Superior Court Judge Troy L. Nunley yesterday denied a motion by former gay porn star Ryan Idol to get a new trial, and instead sentenced the 46-year-old to 12 years in state prison for attempted murder and other crimes. Idol, whose real name is Marc Anthony Donais, was convicted last year of the 2009 assault on his former girlfriend, during which he struck her over the head with a toilet tank lid.   The Sacramento Bee reported last year that Idol's [41-year-old victim], who had moved out of the West Sacramento condo they shared, "told jurors she let Donais into the house and that he immediately told her he wanted to kill her. He testified at trial that he thought she had pulled a knife on him during their discussion in her bathroom and that he grabbed the toilet tank lid and hit her with it out of self defense.“ AVN reported at the time that in addition to the attempted murder conviction, Donais also was found guilty of three other felonies—battery, assault with a deadly weapon and corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant. Sentencing on the 2011 conviction was delayed while Idol's lawyers prepared a motion for a new trial that was rejected yesterday by Nunley. "Donais, a former model who appeared as the 'Man of the Month' centerfold in the February 1989 issue of Playgirl magazine, gained bona fide superstar status as a gay porn star from 1990 through 1996, appearing in such movies as Idol Eyes, Idol Worship and Letters from the Heart," AVN reported at the time of Idol's conviction. "Following his retirement from X-rated movies, he moved to New Hampshire and built a career as a legit theater actor, appearing on Broadway in the Roundabout Theater Company’s 2007 production of Terrence McNally’s The Ritz, which was mounted at Studio 54 and starred Rosie Perez. He also performed at the Tiffany Theatre on L.A.'s Sunset Strip in his own 1999 production of Mark Dunn’s gay comic love story, A Scent of Rain." Agent David Forest, who reported yesterday that a court official told him that the judge did grant Idol "a total of 466 days credit for the jail time he’s served the past year," also stated in an email, "I will get everyone Ryan’s prison address once he reaches the first stage of the journey.  I’m sure he will appreciate some support."