Danny Masterson Found Guilty on 2 Charges of Rape in Sexual Assault Retrial: Details
Danny Masterson was convicted on two counts of forcible rape after 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 they could not reach a verdict for a November 2001 allegation involving an ex-girlfriend. The That '70s Show alum could face a prison sentence of 30 years to life for the two 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. Their courage and strength have been an inspiration to us all," Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement on Wednesday. “While we are disappointed that the jury did not convict on all counts, we respect their decision. The verdicts handed down by the jury in this case were undoubtedly a difficult one to reach and we thank the jurors for their service."
Gascón continued: "We also recognize that preventing sexual assault is critical and we will continue to educate the public on the importance of consent, healthy relationships and bystander intervention. We believe that by working together, we can create a safer and more just society for all.”
Masterson's retrial began in April after a judge declared the first iteration a mistrial in November 2022.
“While we are disappointed with the outcome in 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 mistrial. “We also want to give our heartfelt appreciation to the victims for bravely stepping forward and recounting their harrowing experiences. We also are thankful for the hard work of the prosecution team and we will now consider our next steps as it relates to prosecuting this case.”
The New York native was initially accused of sexual assault in March 2017 when multiple women came forward alleging that 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 a $3.3 million bail.
Masterson — who shares daughter Fianna, 9, with 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 them to be without merit,” he told Us in a December 2017 statement, adding that he looked forward to “clearing my name once and for all.”
When Masterson’s retrial kicked off in April, Leah Remini was in court for the opening statements.
“I am attending opening arguments in the rape trial of celebrity Scientologist Danny Masterson today,” the King of Queens alum, 52, wrote via Twitter at the time. “The women who Danny raped deserve justice for what they’ve been put through, not only by Danny but by Scientology which has tried to destroy them for reporting their rapes.”
Remini left the Church of Scientology in 2013 after growing up as a member of the organization. She has been an outspoken critic of the religious movement since her exit.
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 Scientology, your days of getting away with it is coming to an end! #justice #scientologytheaftermath,” she wrote at the time.
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 suit alleged that the Face/Off actor and the church engaged in stalking, physical invasion of privacy and conspiracy to obstruct justice after the women reported their allegations against Masterson to the Los Angeles Police Department in 2016 and 2017.
“This is beyond ridiculous,” Masterson said in a statement to Us via his attorney at the time. “I’m not going to fight my ex-girlfriend in the media like she’s been baiting me to do for more than two years. I will beat her in court— and look forward to it because the public will finally be able to learn the truth and see how I’ve been railroaded by this woman. And once her lawsuit is thrown out, I intend to sue her, and the others who jumped on the bandwagon, for the damage they caused me and my family.”
After the Chicago 8 actor was convicted, the Church of Scientology called "the prosecution's introduction of religion into the trial" an "unprecedented violation of the First Amendment" in a statement shared with Us. The organization also denied claims that the church attempted to silence Masterson's accusers.
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"The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone—Scientologists or not—to law enforcement. Quite the opposite, Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land. All allegations to the contrary are totally FALSE," the statement read. "There is not a scintilla of evidence supporting the scandalous allegations that the Church harassed the accusers."
