After being found guilty in a retrial earlier this year, Danny Masterson, who is best known for his role as Steven Hyde on That ’70s Show, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison on September 7.
Actor Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. https://t.co/MdT2uv6Jwd
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 7, 2023
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo handed down the punishment to the 47-year-old actor after hearing from the two women he was guilty of raping.
Actress Leah Remini, a former Scientologist turned activist, and the actor’s brother, Malcolm in the Middle star Chris Masterson, were both present in court for the punishment.
Masterson was initially arrested in June of 2020 on suspicion of raping three women between 2001 and 2003. After posting bond on his $3.3 million bail, the actor was freed after he had pled not guilty and earlier rejected all of the claims against him.
After seven attempts and a week-long hiatus for Thanksgiving, the jury in his first r@pe trial, which began in October 2022, declared a mistrial in November of that year. Two of the jury members tested positive for COVID-19, significantly complicating the judgment.
In a future retrial held in May 2023, the jury found Masterson guilty of two charges of r@pe but deadlocked on the third. Even though Masterson did not testify, his actress wife Bijou Phillips allegedly sobbed in court as the verdict was read.
Masterson and the ladies were all members of the Church of Scientology at the time of the assaults, so the Church played a significant role in both trials despite not being personally involved. The women have also filed a civil action against the church and Masterson, claiming that the actor pursued them after they reported his crimes to the police, which was filed in August 2019. This case has yet to be resolved.
Masterson featured in all eight seasons of That ’70s Show, which aired from 1998 to 2006. He was the only original cast member to be left off of the Netflix revival of the show. His character was never referenced once during the show’s 2017 run. The Netflix series he featured in, The Ranch, had him written out of the show when r@pe allegations were made against him in 2017.
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