Danny Masterson Found Guilty Of Rape

Star of 'That '70s Show,' Danny Masterson has been found guilty on two counts of forcible rape, after his second trial.

After a 6 day deliberation, on May 31st, jurors found Masterson guilty of raping two women in 2003, but were unable to reach a verdict for a November 2001 allegation.

He could be facing 30 years to life in prison for the two charges. His next hearing is scheduled for August 4th.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said, “We want to express our gratitude to the three women who came forward and bravely shared their experiences. Their courage and strength have been an inspiration to us all. While we are disappointed that the jury did not convict on all counts, we respect their decision. The verdicts handed down by the jury in this case were undoubtedly a difficult one to reach and we thank the jurors for their service.”

“We also recognize that preventing sexual assault is critical and we will continue to educate the public on the importance of consent, healthy relationships and bystander intervention. We believe that by working together, we can create a safer and more just society for all.”

His retrial began in April after a mistrial was declared in November 2022.

The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office said at the time, “While we are disappointed with the outcome in this trial, we thank the jurors for their service. We also want to give our heartfelt appreciation to the victims for bravely stepping forward and recounting their harrowing experiences. We also are thankful for the hard work of the prosecution team and we will now consider our next steps as it relates to prosecuting this case.”

Masterson was first accused of sexual assault in March 2017, as multiple women came forward alleging he raped them in the early 2000s. He was charged with three counts of rape in June 2020. Not long after his arrest, he was released on a $3.3 million bail.

He has repeatedly denied all allegations.

“From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. Law enforcement investigated these claims more than 15 years ago and determined them to be without merit."

He said he looked forward to “clearing my name once and for all.”

Leah Remini was in court for the opening statements, when the retrial began.

“I am attending opening arguments in the rape trial of celebrity Scientologist Danny Masterson today. The women who Danny raped deserve justice for what they’ve been put through, not only by Danny but by Scientology which has tried to destroy them for reporting their rapes.”

She left the Church of Scientology in 2013, and celebrated after he was originally charged with three counts of rape.

“Finally, victims are being heard when it comes to Scientology! Praise the lord! This is just the beginning Scientology, your days of getting away with it is coming to an end! #justice #scientologytheaftermath."

In August 2019, four of his accusers filed a lawsuit against him, the Church of Scientology and the leader, David Miscavige.

It alleged he and the church engaged in stalking, physical invasion of privacy, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Masterson said at the time, “This is beyond ridiculous. I’m not going to fight my ex-girlfriend in the media like she’s been baiting me to do for more than two years. I will beat her in court— and look forward to it because the public will finally be able to learn the truth and see how I’ve been railroaded by this woman. And once her lawsuit is thrown out, I intend to sue her, and the others who jumped on the bandwagon, for the damage they caused me and my family.”

After he was convicted, the Church of Scientology called “the prosecution’s introduction of religion into the trial” an “unprecedented violation of the First Amendment” and denied claims the church attempted to silence his accusers.

“The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone—Scientologists or not—to law enforcement. Quite the opposite, Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land. All allegations to the contrary are totally FALSE. There is not a scintilla of evidence supporting the scandalous allegations that the Church harassed the accusers.”