Current:Home > ContactThat ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape -GrowthInsight
That ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape
Robert Brown View
Date:2025-04-06 22:36:49
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! (72823)
Related
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Big GOP funders sending millions into Missouri’s attorney general primary
- Summer hours can be a way for small business owners to boost employee morale and help combat burnout
- Carjacker charged with murder in DC after crashing stolen car with woman inside: Police
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- What is the dividend payout for Nvidia stock?
- Man who escaped Oregon hospital while shackled and had to be rescued from muddy pond sentenced
- Chicago police tweak mass arrests policy ahead of Democratic National Convention
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Body of diver found in Lake Erie ID'd as director of local shipwreck team
Ranking
- Chuck Scarborough signs off: Hoda Kotb, Al Roker tribute legendary New York anchor
- How To Prepare Your Skin for Waxing: Minimize the Pain and Maximize the Results
- Prisoner dies 12 days after Pennsylvania judge granted compassionate release for health reasons
- Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter pleads guilty to two counts of fraud
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- NCAA tournament baseball: Who is in the next regional round and when every team plays
- Are peaches good for you? Nutrition experts break down healthy fruit options.
- Kansas leaders and new group ramp up efforts to lure the Kansas City Chiefs from Missouri
Recommendation
Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, other family members expected to take the stand in his federal gun trial
Walmart settlement deadline approaches: How to join $45 million weighted-grocery lawsuit
Animal control officers in Michigan struggle to capture elusive peacock
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Now that the fight with DeSantis appointees has ended, Disney set to invest $17B in Florida parks
Man sentenced to life without parole in ambush shooting of Baltimore police officer
Prosecutor asks Texas court to reverse governor’s pardon of man who fatally shot demonstrator