Best known for starring in projects like That ‘70s Show, The Ranch, Dracula 2000, and Men at Work, Danny Masterson had been accused of raping three women at his Hollywood Hills home between the years 2001 and 2003. Due to the ongoing rape allegations against him, Masterson had already not been featured in the That ‘90s Show reboot on Netflix.
On Thursday, September 7, the actor was found guilty of raping two women and was sentenced to 30 years in prison (via NBC News). According to the report, Masterson was “hit with the punishment four months after he was convicted on two of the three rape counts that he faced at his retrial in Los Angeles.”
Despite now being found guilty, Masterson continually denied sexually assaulting these women. He also didn’t take a stand at any of his trials. NBC News noted that “All three accusers are former members of the Church of Scientology, to which Masterson still belongs.”
Besides accusing Masterson of rape, the three women also accused the Church of Scientology of allegedly “trying to cover up allegations.” However, Scientology spokeswoman Karin Pouw has denied those allegations.
Masterson has been married to actress Bijou Phillips since 2011. They have one child together. According to E! News, Phillips shed tears after hearing her husband’s verdict and seeing him being taken away in handcuffs.
In response to the verdict, one of Masterson’s accusers issued a statement saying that she felt a “complex array of emotions” that included “relief, exhaustion, strength, and sadness.” She also expressed disappointment that the actor wasn’t convicted on all three counts.