Current:Home > ContactThat ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape -MoneyMatrix
That ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape
Chainkeen View
Date:2025-04-06 18:01:32
Danny Masterson's rape retrial has reached an end.
The That '70s Show alum was found guilty of two counts of rape by a Los Angeles jury on May 31, according to NBC News. The jury could not reach a verdict on the third count.
Masterson was arrested and charged on three charges of forcible rape in 2020. Prosecutors alleged that Masterson sexually assaulted three women—who they said the actor met through the Church of Scientology—at his Hollywood Hills home in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003.
Masterson, who previously pled not guilty to the charges, now faces up to 30 years behind bars, according to NBC News. He was taken away from the courtroom in handcuffs as his wife Bijou Phillips cried, per the outlet.
The ruling comes six months after a mistrial was declared in Masterson's case, in which the jury was unable to reach unanimous decisions for the three rape charges. His new trial began in April, with his three accusers—identified as Jane Doe #1, Jane Doe #2 and Jane Doe #3—giving emotional testimonies, according to the Associated Press.
Masterson did not testify during the retrial, according to NBC News.
In the wake of Masterson's guilty verdict, Jane Doe #2 said in a statement outside of courtroom that she was feeling a "complex array of emotions," including "relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness," per NBC News.
She continued, "I am disappointed that he was not convicted on all counts, but take great solace in the fact that he, the Church of Scientology, and others, will have to fully account for their abhorrent actions in civil court."
The women had previously accused the Church of Scientology of pressuring them into not speaking to police about their allegations. The church denied their claims in a May 31 statement obtained by E! News June 1, noting that the organization "has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone—Scientologists or not—to law enforcement."
The statement continued, "There is not a scintilla of evidence supporting the scandalous allegations that the Church harassed the accusers."
Jane Doe #3, whose rape charge the jury did not reach a verdict on, said she felt "devastated" that Masterson "dodged criminal accountability for his heinous conduct against me."
Masterson is being held without bail and is due back in court on Aug. 4 for a hearing, according to the Associated Press. No sentencing date has been set.
E! News reached out to Masterson's lawyers for comment and has not heard back.
For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.veryGood! (218)
Related
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson bemoans 'woke culture,' declines to endorse presidential candidate
- These numbers don't lie. South Carolina has chance to be greatest undefeated women's team
- ‘Red flag’ bill debated for hours in Maine months after mass shooting that killed 18
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- City-country mortality gap widens amid persistent holes in rural health care access
- A dog went missing in San Diego. She was found more than 2,000 miles away in Detroit.
- When does Purdue and UConn play in March Madness? Breaking down the NCAA Tournament title game
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- When was the last total solar eclipse in the U.S.? Revisiting 2017 in maps and photos
Ranking
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Former gas station chain owner gets Trump endorsement in Wisconsin congressional race
- Tennesse hires Marshall's Kim Caldwell as new basketball coach in $3.75 million deal
- Blue's Clues' Steve Burns Shares His Thoughts on Quiet on Set Docuseries
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Trisha Yearwood pays tribute to June Carter Cash ahead of CMT Awards: 'She was a force'
- Jonathan Majors Sentenced to 52-Week Counseling Program in Domestic Violence Case
- Michelle Troconis, convicted of conspiracy in Jennifer Dulos murder, was fooled by boyfriend, says sister
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
Missouri to reduce risk of suffering if man requires surgical procedure at execution
Maren Morris Reveals Why She Didn’t Attend the 2024 CMT Music Awards
Biden to announce new student loan forgiveness proposals
Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
Influencer Jackie Miller James Introduces Fans to Her Baby Girl Amid Aneurysm Recovery
Engine covering falls off Boeing plane, strikes wing flap during Southwest Airlines flight Denver takeoff
Solar eclipse: NSYNC's Lance Bass explains how not to say 'bye bye bye to your vision'