Current:Home > ScamsThat ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape -ForexStream
That ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape
View
Date:2025-04-24 15:02:17
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! (39955)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Norfolk Southern announces details of plan to pay for lost home values because of Ohio derailment
- Michigan attorney general blames Gov. Whitmer kidnap trial acquittals on ‘right-leaning’ jurors
- New-look PSG starts its Champions League campaign against Dortmund. Its recruits have yet to gel
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Ukraine fires 6 deputy defense ministers as heavy fighting continues in the east
- Ukraine's Zelenskyy tells Sean Penn in 'Superpower' documentary: 'World War III has begun'
- Giant pandas in zoos suffer from jet lag, impacting sexual behavior, diets, study shows
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Kim Jong Un heads back to North Korea after six-day Russian trip
Ranking
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- The Versailles Palace celebrates its 400th anniversary and hosts King Charles III for state dinner
- At UN, Biden looks to send message to world leaders - and voters - about leadership under his watch
- Google brings its AI chatbot Bard into its inner circle, opening door to Gmail, Maps, YouTube
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- Coca Cola v. Coca Pola
- Former Belarusian operative under Lukashenko goes on Swiss trial over enforced disappearances
- Far from home, Ukrainian designers showcase fashion that was created amid air raid sirens
Recommendation
What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
Hermoso criticizes Spanish soccer federation and accuses it of threatening World Cup-winning players
Ray Epps, center of a Jan. 6 conspiracy theory, is charged with a misdemeanor over the Capitol riot
Researchers find new way to store carbon dioxide absorbed by plants
Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
UAW's Shawn Fain threatens more closures at Ford, GM, Stellantis plants by noon Friday
Ukraine complains to WTO about Hungary, Poland and Slovakia banning its farm products
International Criminal Court says it detected ‘anomalous activity’ in its information systems