Current:Home > InvestThat ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape -Infinite Edge Learning
That ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape
View
Date:2025-04-12 07:18:42
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! (24)
Related
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Man who cyberstalked parent of Parkland shooting victim sentenced to year in prison
- 5 killed in Illinois tanker crash died from gas leak, autopsy report confirms
- Britney Spears Reveals the Real Story Behind Her 55-Hour Marriage to Jason Alexander
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Tropical Storm Otis forecast to strengthen to hurricane before landfall near Mexico’s Acapulco
- Michelle Obama to narrate audio edition of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’
- Biden is 'persona non grata' for many Arab and Muslim Americans
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- How safe are cockpits? Aviation experts weigh in after security scare
Ranking
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Unusual tortoise found in Florida identified as escape artist pet that went missing in 2020
- 2nd trial in death of New York anti-gang activist ends in mistrial
- Maryland Terrapins assisant coach Kevin Sumlin arrested for DUI in Florida
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- S&P 500 slips Monday following Wall Street's worst week in a month
- Aid convoys enter Gaza as Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza as well as targets in Syria and West Bank
- Lebanon’s prime minister visits troops at the country’s tense southern border with Israel
Recommendation
Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
Suspect on roof of Wisconsin middle school fatally shot by police
'Squid Game: The Challenge': Release date, trailer, what to know about Netflix reality show
Off-Duty Pilot Charged With 83 Counts of Attempted Murder After Plane Cockpit Incident
Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
Retail credit card interest rates rise to record highs, topping 30% APR
Meadows granted immunity, tells Smith he warned Trump about 2020 claims: Sources
Illinois Gov. Pritzker takes his fight for abortion access national with a new self-funded group