Danny Masterson, an actor from “That ’70s Show,” has been given a sentence of 30 years to life in jail for raping two women.
“This has been a long and arduous road for the victims of Mr. Masterson,” read a statement from District Attorney George Gascón. “They not only survived his abuse, they also survived a system that is often not kind to victims.”
Masterson, a Scientology adherent, starred in the popular comedy “That ’70s Show,” which ran from 1998 to 2006. He was initially accused of sexual misconduct in 2017, which prompted the LAPD to launch an investigation. He was accused of raping three women, including his ex-girlfriend, in his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003. He was charged with this crime in June 2020. The Church of Scientology was how the three women first connected with Masterson.
“You are pathetic, disturbed and completely violent,” one of the women said to Masterson in court this morning, according to The Associated Press.
An impasse on the jury resulted in a mistrial last year. In May, the prosecution retried Masterson, telling the jury that he had drugged the women’s drinks and that the church had attempted to intimidate the victims. Although the jury was unable to reach a decision regarding the charge that he raped his longtime partner, they did find him guilty of two counts of rape.
Ashton Kutcher and fellow “That ’70s Show” alumnus Masterson appeared together in the Netflix comedy “The Ranch” in Masterson’s final role. But after the accusations, he was dropped off the show in 2017.
