Current:Home > FinanceDanny Masterson Sentenced to 30 Years to Life in Prison in Rape Case -AssetTrainer
Danny Masterson Sentenced to 30 Years to Life in Prison in Rape Case
View
Date:2025-04-17 17:05:17
Danny Masterson will serve time behind bars in connection to his rape conviction.
Three months after a jury found the That '70s Show alum guilty of two counts of rape, a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge has sentenced the 47-year-old to 30 years to life in prison, according to NBC News.
In May, Masterson—who was arrested and charged on three counts of forcible rape in 2020—was found guilty of raping two women between 2001 and 2003 at his Hollywood Hills home, with the jury unable to reach a verdict on a third count alleging he raped a former girlfriend, per NBC News.
Prosecutors alleged that Masterson sexually assaulted three women—who they said The Ranch actor met through the Church of Scientology—at his Hollywood Hills home in separate incidents. The verdict came six months after a mistrial was declared in Masterson's case, in which the jury was unable to reach unanimous decisions on the three rape charges.
His new trial began earlier this year, in which his three accusers, identified as Jane Doe #1, Jane Doe #2 and Jane Doe #3, each gave emotional testimonies, according to the Associated Press.
The women previously accused the Church of Scientology of pressuring them into not reporting the allegations to police. However, the church denied those claims in a June 1 statement obtained by E! News, saying that the organization "has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone—Scientologists or not—to law enforcement."
Masterson, who previously pled not guilty to the charges, did not testify during the retrial, per NBC News. After his verdict, according to the outlet, the Men at Work actor was taken away from the courtroom in handcuffs as his wife Bijou Phillips shed tears.
In response to the guilty verdict, Jane Doe #2 said in a statement outside of the courtroom at the time that she was feeling a "complex array of emotions," per NBC News, including "relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness," adding that she was "disappointed that he was not convicted on all counts."
"But take great solace in the fact that he, the Church of Scientology, and others," she continued, "will have to fully account for their abhorrent actions in civil court."
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."
E! News reached out to Masterson's attorneys for comment and has not heard back.
(E! and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.veryGood! (64)
Related
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- If you're neurodivergent, here are steps to make your workplace more inclusive
- Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt and More Celebs Who Got Candid About Their Addictions and Sobriety Journeys
- Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was on plane that crashed, Russian aviation agency says
- Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
- Yale and a student group are settling a mental health discrimination lawsuit
- Boston announces new plan to rid city of homeless encampment, get residents help
- A Florida woman returned a book to a library drop box. It took part of her finger, too.
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- See Ryan Reynolds Send XOXOs to Wife Blake Lively in Heart-Melting Birthday Tribute
Ranking
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Indiana automotive parts supplier to close next spring, costing 155 workers their jobs
- Why Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Are Our Favorite Ongoing Love Story
- Why Cole Sprouse and KJ Apa's Riverdale Characters Weren't Shown Kissing Amid Quad Reveal
- Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
- Players credit the NFL and union with doing a better job of teaching when sports betting isn’t OK
- Oh, We'll Bring These 20 Bring It On Behind-the-Scenes Secrets, Don't Worry
- Zillow offers 1% down payment to attract more homebuyers
Recommendation
Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
AI is biased. The White House is working with hackers to try to fix that
Hot air balloon pilot safely lands on Vermont highway after mid-flight wind issues: Reports
38 rolls of duct tape, 100s of hours: Student's sticky scholarship entry makes fashion archive
Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
'Not an easy thing to do': Authorities name 388 people still missing after Maui wildfires
Alex Murdaugh to plead guilty in theft case. It would be the first time he admits to a crime
'I don’t like the situation': 49ers GM John Lynch opens up about Nick Bosa's holdout