Danny Masterson, best known for his part in the sitcom “That ’70s Show,” just received a 30-year prison sentence for the rape of two women more than two decades ago. This is a huge step. Judge Charlene F. Olmedo of the Los Angeles Superior Court handed down this sentence after hearing the victims’ heartfelt testimonies about the long-lasting effects of Masterson’s crimes on their lives.
The body is a perpetual witness, said one of the accused, N., in a statement made in court. You stole from me when you raped me. Theft of the soul is what rape is.
Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon praised the bravery of the victims and said justice had finally been served. She reaffirmed her dedication to changing the culture in which Hollywood elites view the victimization of women as a right.
Masterson’s lawyer, Sean Hawley, expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling and outlined plans for a legal team to address critical evidence and legal matters in potential appeals. He insisted that the sentence was unfair to Masterson, who has consistently maintained his innocence.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, after serving 20 years, 47-year-old Masterson will be eligible for parole.
From 1998 to 2006, Masterson played the role of Steven Hyde in “That ’70s Show” and from 2012 to 2014, he was part of the television comedy “Men at Work.” When she was fired from the Netflix comedy “The Ranch” in 2017 due to rape allegations, her career took a leap.
Masterson was a member of the Church of Scientology and had attempted to prevent his accusers from reporting the crimes, which led to widespread publicity of the case, the report said.
Masterson was sentenced in May for raping two women at his Hollywood Hills home in the early 2000s, while a third rape charge was dismissed by the jury. The first verdict, delivered in November, resulted in a mistrial due to a deadlock on all three charges.
When Masterson was charged with three counts of rape in 2020, his legal action began. He pleaded not guilty.
Beyond the fact that a famous Hollywood actor was involved in the #MeToo movement, the case was also known for the fact that both victims were allegedly told not to report the rape to the Church of Scientology, to which they also belonged. The church refused to put pressure on the victims.
According to court documents, one of the accused, Christina Bee, told the churchs ethics officer that Masterson had raped her in 2001, and the officer reportedly denied her allegations, saying, You cannot rape someone you are in a relationship with Another woman, Jane B., who was raped and drugged by Masterson in April 2003, asked the church for permission to report the incident, but was told by a written message that she could be excommunicated by her family and fellow Scientologists. In 2004, Jane B finally filed a rape case.
The third accused, N. Trout, who was raped in 2003, did not tell the church but her mother and best friend. “If you have a legal situation with another member of the church, you can’t handle it from outside the church, and that’s very clear,” court documents indicate. He also expressed concern about the results.
The Church of Scientology denied any involvement in the case and denied allegations of harassment against the accusers. The Church stressed that such claims were not supported by evidence.
Alison Anderson, who represented two of the accused, highlighted the gravity of the situation and the need for accountability following the Danny Masterson verdict.
