Danny Masterson was convicted of two counts of forcible rape following his second trial on charges that he sexually assaulted several women in the early 2000s.
The jury reached a decision on Wednesday, May 31, after deliberating for more than six days. Jurors found Masterson, 47, guilty of raping two women in 2003, but were unable to reach a verdict on a November 2001 complaint involving an ex-girlfriend. The That ’70s Show alum could face 30 years to life in prison on both charges. His next hearing is set for August 4.
“We want to express our gratitude to the three women who came forward and bravely shared their experiences. Her courage and strength have been an inspiration to all,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon he said in a statement on Wednesday. “While we are disappointed that the jury did not convict in all cases, we respect their decision. There is no doubt that the verdicts reached by the jury in this case were difficult to reach and we thank the jurors for their service.”
Gascón continued: “We also recognize that preventing sexual assault is critical and will continue to educate the public about the importance of consent, healthy relationships and bystander intervention. We believe that by working together we can create a safer and fairer society for everyone.”
Masterson’s retrial began in April after a judge voided the first iteration in November 2022.
“While we are disappointed with the outcome of this trial, we thank the jurors for their service,” a spokesperson for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office said in a statement to Us Weekly at the time of the trial. “We also want to extend our sincere thanks to the victims for bravely coming forward and telling their harrowing experiences. We are also grateful for the hard work of the prosecution team and will now consider our next steps in prosecuting this case”.
The New York native was initially charged with sexual assault in March 2017 when several women came forward alleging the Ranch alum had raped them in the early 2000s. He was charged with three counts of rape in June 2020. Shortly after his arrest, he was released on $3.3 million bail.
Masterson, who shares daughter Fianna, 9, with his wife Bijou Phillips — has repeatedly denied the allegations.
“From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. Law enforcement investigated these claims more than 15 years ago and determined they had no merit,” Us said in a December 2017 statement, and he added that he hoped to “clear my name once and for all.”
When Masterson’s retrial began in April, Read Remini was in court for opening statements.
“Today I’m attending opening arguments in the rape trial of famous Scientologist Danny Masterson,” the 52-year-old King of Queens student wrote via Twitter at the time. “The women that Danny raped deserve justice for what they have suffered, not only for Danny, but also for Scientology, which has tried to destroy them for reporting his violations.”
Remini left the Church of Scientology in 2013 after growing as a member of the organization. He has been an outspoken critic of the religious movement since his departure.
After Masterson was charged with three counts of rape in June 2020, Remini celebrated the news via Twitter.
“Finally, victims are being heard when it comes to Scientology! Praise the lord! This is just the beginning of Scientology, your days of getting away with it are coming to an end! #justice #scientologytheaftermath,” he wrote in that moment
In August 2019, four of Masterson’s accusers filed a lawsuit against him, the Church of Scientology and the organization’s leader, David Miscavige.
The lawsuit alleged that the Face/Off actor and the church engaged in harassment, physical invasion of privacy and conspiracy to obstruct justice after the women reported their allegations against Masterson to the department of the Los Angeles Police Department in 2016 and 2017.
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“This is beyond ridiculous,” Masterson said in a statement to Us through his attorney at the time. “I will not fight my ex-girlfriend in the media like she has been doing to me for over two years. I will beat her up in court, and I look forward to the fact that the public will finally be able to know the truth and see how this woman treated me she cheated. And once her lawsuit is dismissed, I intend to sue her and the others who jumped on the bandwagon, for the damage they caused me and my family.”
