Danny Masterson Of ‘That 70s Show’ Charged With Raping 3 Women
Danny Masterson, who starred in the sitcom “That 70s Show” with Aston Kutcher, has been charged with raping three women. The actor could be in prison for 45 years if his crime will be proven in court.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced the charges against Masterson Wednesday. The 44-year-old actor is scheduled to be arraigned in court on Sept. 18.
According to Lacey’s office, Masterson forced women into sex out from 2001 to 2003. His victims were from the ages of 23 and 28. He repeatedly raped these women because he also sowed fear.
The actor, who practices Scientology, has been under investigation since 2016 after the women came forward. Masterson denied the accusations but he was subsequently fired from “The Ranch,” his Netflix series in 2017. Kutcher also starred on this show and was one of the executive producers.
In August 2019, four more women came forward to accuse Masterson of stalking them. Masterson also denied the accusations.
His lawyer has released a statement following his arrest at his L.A. home. Masterson will need to pay $3.3 million in bail if he wants to temporarily get out of prison.
“Mr. Masterson is innocent, and we’re confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify,” Tom Mesereau said. “Obviously, Mr. Masterson and his wife are in complete shock considering that these nearly 20-year old allegations are suddenly resulting in charges being filed, but they and their family are comforted knowing that ultimately the truth will come out. The people who know Mr. Masterson know his character and know the allegations to be false.”
The actor is married to actress Bijou Phillips since 2011. They have a daughter together. Phillips stands by her husband and has defended him publicly on social media by allegedly mocking his victims. The actor, however, has never made a public response to the claims except through his lawyers.
