Danny Masterson with his attorney in court in Los Angeles
Photo: Getty Images, LUCY NICHOLSON. All rights reserved.
The American actor Danny Masterson, who became known with the cult series “That 70’s Show” and “A Family Called Beethoven”, has to go to prison. After six days of deliberations, a Los Angeles jury found the 47-year-old guilty of raping two women on Wednesday (May 31).
The crimes go back to 2001 and 2003, as the public prosecutor’s office proved in a lengthy process. In another 2003 case involving a rape allegation, the 12 jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. The sentence is expected to be announced in early August. Masterson faces up to 30 years in prison, prosecutors say. Life imprisonment is also possible.
Masterson had stated in court that he was not guilty and had always denied the allegations. According to him, all sexual interactions with the 23-year-old and the 28-year-old woman, like Masterson both members of Scientology, were consensual. Separately, the actor allegedly forcibly forced them into sex at his Hollywood home.
Fear of Scientology punishment
The two women stated in court that they initially refrained from filing a complaint for fear of punishment by the Scientology leadership. The allegations became known in 2017. A first trial ended last fall without a verdict because the jury could not agree on a verdict. However, the judge ordered a “mistrial” at the time, which led to another trial that has now come to an end.
Danny Masterson has been married to actress Bijou Phillips since 2011. Together they have a daughter. Most recently, the actor appeared in an episode of the series “Easy”. After 2017, when the allegations became known, no other roles in TV or cinema have become known.