LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Danny Masterson was taken into custody on Wednesday, May 31, after he was found guilty on two of three counts of rape at his second trial in a Los Angeles courtroom. The 'That '70s Show' star, 47, was convicted of charges from accusations in 2020 that he raped three women in multiple instances between 2001 and 2003.
After long deliberations, the jury, comprising seven women and five men, sided with two of Masterson’s accusers but was unable to reach a verdict on similar allegations by a long-term girlfriend. The actor was escorted out of court in handcuffs and sent to the state prison, where he will remain in custody without bail until his sentence is handed out. No sentencing date has been announced as of yet but the court instructed Masterson and his lawyers to return to court for a hearing on August 4.
How long will Danny Masterson's prison term be?
As per the Associated Press, the ‘The Ranch’ star faces 30 years to life in prison following his sentencing. He would have had to spend up to 45 years in a California state jail if found guilty of all three rape charges in the first trial and current retrial. The actor's representatives have declined to comment, although it is reportedly expected that his attorneys will file an appeal.
Masterson was initially arrested in 2020 over the alleged sexual assaults that occurred between 2001 and 2003 in his Hollywood Hills home. Until his conviction, the actor was free on a $3M bail.
Since the start of the case, Masterson maintained his innocence, claiming that the acts were consensual. His original trial for the matter ended in a mistrial in November 2022, with jurors deadlocked on all three counts. In January, a new trial was scheduled after a motion to have the case dismissed was declined. The defense called no witnesses over the course of the retrial, which began on April 24 and ended on May 12.
In contrast to the previous trial, the DA's office explicitly highlighted Masterson's suspected role in allegedly spiking the survivors' drinks. The survivors were all Scientologists at the time of the said crimes.
'We want to express our gratitude'
Following the verdict, DA George Gascon expressed his appreciation for the three women for their bravery in coming forward to tell their stories. “We want to express our gratitude to the three women who came forward and bravely shared their experiences. 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,” he said in a statement.
