Current:Home > MyThat ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape -Infinite Edge Learning
That ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape
Rekubit View
Date:2025-04-09 06:38:22
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! (7)
Related
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- Trump inflated his net worth by $2.2 billion, NYAG says in filing
- Body of 12-year-old boy with gunshot wound found in Philadelphia dumpster
- Legacy of Native American boarding schools comes into view through a new interactive map
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- Horoscopes Today, August 30, 2023
- Biden to send $95 million to Maui to strengthen electrical grid, disaster prevention
- Trump launched an ambitious effort to end HIV. House Republicans want to defund it.
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- Videos, photos show Hurricane Idalia damage as catastrophic storm inundates Florida: Our entire downtown is submerged
Ranking
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Kyle Richards Shares Update on “Very Hard” Public Separation From Mauricio Umansky
- Giuliani sanctioned by judge in defamation case brought by 2 Georgia election workers
- Judge says former Trump adviser has failed to show Trump asserted executive privilege
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- 'We will be back': Covenant families disappointed in Tennessee special session, vow to press ahead
- Prosecutors drop felony charges against Iowa man who had guns, ammunition in Chicago hotel room
- Maui officials face questions over wildfires response as search for victims wraps up
Recommendation
Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
'Breaking Bad' actors Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul join forces on picket line
Panama Canal's low water levels could become headache for consumers
Hurricane Franklin brings dangerous rip currents to East Coast beaches
EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
Idalia makes history along Florida's Big Bend, McConnell freezes again: 5 Things podcast
As Hurricane Idalia damage continues, here's how to help those affected in Florida
Security guard, customer die after exchanging gunfire at Indianapolis home improvement store