Current:Home > MyThat ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape -AssetTrainer
That ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape
View
Date:2025-04-14 07:28:33
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! (3)
Related
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Frederick Richard next poster athlete for men's gymnastics after team bronze performance
- Orville Peck makes queer country for everyone. On ‘Stampede,’ stars like Willie Nelson join the fun
- Simone Biles has redefined her sport — and its vocabulary. A look at the skills bearing her name
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Wetland plant once nearly extinct may have recovered enough to come off the endangered species list
- Olympics 2024: Brazilian Gymnast Flavia Saraiva Competes With Black Eye After Scary Fall
- New Jersey judge rejects indictment against officer charged with shooting man amid new evidence
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- 103 earthquakes in one week: What's going on in west Texas?
Ranking
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
- FCC launches app tests your provider's broadband speed; consumers 'deserve to know'
- Olympics 2024: Brody Malone's Dad Will Bring You to Tears With Moving Letter to Gymnast
- Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's Daughter Sunday Rose, 16, Looks All Grown Up in Rare Red Carpet Photo
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Earthquakes happen all the time, you just can't feel them. A guide to how they're measured
- Trial canceled in North Dakota abortion ban lawsuit as judge ponders dismissal
- Israeli Olympians' safety must be top priority after another sick antisemitic display
Recommendation
Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
Olympic men's triathlon event postponed due to pollution levels in Seine river
Simone Biles and Team USA take aim at gold in the women’s gymnastics team final
Chelsea Handler slams JD Vance for 'childless cat ladies' comment: 'My God, are we tired'
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
How Harris and Trump differ on artificial intelligence policy
Police recruit who lost both legs in ‘barbaric hazing ritual’ sues Denver, paramedics and officers
Steals from Lululemon’s We Made Too Much: $29 Shirts, $59 Sweaters, $69 Leggings & More Unmissable Scores