Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Former That ’70s Show actor Danny Masterson received a 30 years to life prison sentence after his conviction for raping two women. The New York Times reported that in May 2023, a jury convicted Masterson on two counts of rape and deadlocked on a third count. Then, in September, months after the guilty verdict, Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo sentenced him. The actor committed the said crimes in the early 2000s at his home in Hollywood Hills, California.
According to the California Department of Corrections, Danny Masterson, born Daniel Peter Masterson, is serving time in California Men’s Colony. The records state that Masterson will become eligible for parole in June 2042. His prison term began on December 27, 2023.
Masterson’s most popular acting credit was Steven Hyde on That ’70s Show. He played the character on the hit show from 1998 to 2006, following which he appeared in Men at Work from 2012 to 2014. The actor’s recent role was in the popular Netflix comedy The Ranch. However, shortly after the accusations surfaced, the streaming giant fired him from the show in December 2017, reported People Magazine.
What was Danny Masterson convicted of?
People Magazine reported that the Los Angeles police started an investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Danny Masterson in 2017. The allegations suggested that Masterson, who was an active part of the Chruch of Scientology, raped three women in the early 2000s. In the next few months, Netflix’s The Ranch fired the actor. Moreover, Hollywood’s United Talent Agency, which represented him for two decades, dropped him.
Then, on June 17, 2020, the District Attorney’s Office charged Masterson with three counts of rape by force or fear. Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller claimed he committed the crimes at his home in Hollywood Hills.
As per the charges, prosecutors alleged that Danny Masterson’s first victim was a 23-year-old woman whom he raped sometime in 2001. He allegedly raped his second victim, a 28-year-old, in April 2003. Lastly, he raped a third victim, a 23-year-old woman, sometime between October and December 2003. These women, who were also Scientologists, alleged that they did not contact authorities about the said assault because the Church persuaded them not to.
Danny Masterson pleaded not guilty to all three counts of rape in January 2021 and stood trial the following year. His high-profile trial began in October 2022. In the following months, the three alleged victims took the stand one by one and testified against Masterson. The three separate testimonies alleged that he raped the victims between 2001 and 2003. Around that time, the actor was at the peak of his career, per BBC.
People Magazine reported that the months-long trial eventually concluded on May 31, 2023, when a jury convicted Danny Masterson on two counts of rape. However, the same jury deadlocked on the third rape count. Later, on September 7 of that year, Masterson received a prison sentence of 30 years to life.
According to USA Today and prison records, Masterson will be eligible for parole in June 2042. The sources also state that his first parole board consultation will take place in May 2038.
Several YouTube documentaries delve into the Danny Masterson rape case. The YouTube channel Coffee and Cults’ documentary Everything You DON’T Know About Danny Masterson & His Crimes looks into the actor’s transition from a famed actor to a convicted rapist.
