Current:Home > FinanceThat ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape -NextFrontier Finance
That ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape
View
Date:2025-04-13 12:45:46
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! (213)
Related
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- United Airlines CEO blasts FAA call to cancel and delay flights because of bad weather
- Lake Erie’s Toxic Green Slime is Getting Worse With Climate Change
- Missing Florida children found abandoned at Wisconsin park; 2 arrested
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth says financial assistance is being sent to wholesalers, beer distributors impacted by boycott backlash
- Conservative businessman Tim Sheehy launches U.S. Senate bid for Jon Tester's seat
- Travis Barker Calls Alabama Barker His Twin in Sweet Father-Daughter Photos
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- 5 teens, including 4 Texas Roadhouse employees, found dead after car lands in Florida retention pond
Ranking
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- Costco starts cracking down on membership sharing
- See Inside Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi's Engagement Party
- Zendaya Reacts to Tom Holland’s “Sexiest” Picture Ever After Sharing Sweet Birthday Tribute
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Are Electric Vehicles Pushing Oil Demand Over a Cliff?
- Judge Blocks Trump’s Arctic Offshore Drilling Expansion as Lawyers Ramp Up Legal Challenges
- Once-resistant rural court officials begin to embrace medications to treat addiction
Recommendation
South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
Can air quality affect skin health? A dermatologist explains as more Canadian wildfire smoke hits the U.S.
United Airlines CEO blasts FAA call to cancel and delay flights because of bad weather
Pools of Water Atop Sea Ice in the Arctic May Lead it to Melt Away Sooner Than Expected
Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
Return to Small Farms Could Help Alleviate Social and Environmental Crises
5,500 U.S. Schools Use Solar Power, and That’s Growing as Costs Fall, Study Shows
Get These $118 Lululemon Flared Pants for $58, a $54 Tank Top for $19, $138 Dress for $54, and More