Current:Home > MyThat ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape -Core Financial Strategies
That ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape
View
Date:2025-04-13 22:07:20
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! (3713)
Related
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Landmark Washington climate law faces possible repeal by voters
- Nancy Mace tries to cement her hold on her US House seat in South Carolina
- Republican incumbent Josh Hawley faces Democrat Lucas Kunce for US Senate seat in Missouri
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Jaw-Dropping Amazon Fashion Deals: 3 Long-Sleeve Shirts for $19, Plus Up to 69% Off Fall Styles
- Figures and Dobson are in a heated battle for a redrawn Alabama House district
- Independent US Sen. Angus King faces 3 challengers in Maine
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- 'Yellowstone' star Luke Grimes on adapting to country culture
Ranking
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Arizona voters to decide on expanding abortion access months after facing a potential near-total ban
- Democratic Rep. Angie Craig seeks a 4th term in Minnesota’s tightest congressional race
- Tropical Storm Rafael to become hurricane before landfall in Cuba. Is US at risk?
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Queen Camilla Withdraws From Public Engagements Due to Chest Infection
- Florida prosecutor says suspect in deadly Halloween shooting will be charged as an adult
- First Family Secret Service Code Names Revealed for the Trumps, Bidens, Obamas and More
Recommendation
This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
Are schools closed on Election Day? Here's what to know before polls open
Alaska voters deciding a hard-fought race for the state’s only U.S. House seat, election issues
Legislature’s majorities and picking a new state attorney general are on the Pennsylvania ballot
NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
Za'Darius Smith trade grades: Who won deal between Lions, Browns?
TGI Fridays bankruptcy: Are more locations closing? Here’s what we know so far
Za'Darius Smith trade grades: Who won deal between Lions, Browns?