‘That '70s Show’ star Danny Masterson charged with raping 3 women, faces up to 45 years in prison
Actor Danny Masterson of 'The Ranch' and 'That '70s Show' has been officially charged with raping three women in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003. The charges -- three counts of rape by force or fear -- were announced on Wednesday by Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey. Media reports suggest that the actor was arrested at 11.30 am and is currently being held in police custody with $3.3 million set as bail. If convicted, Masterson faces 45 years in state prison. Masterson will be arraigned in court on September 18.
According to a report in E!News, the District Attorney's office also announced that they had decided not to file sexual assault charges on two other cases due to the statute of limitations and insufficient evidence.
In response to the charges filed against the actor, his lawyer said in a statement, "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."
He further added, "Obviously, Mr. Masterson and his wife [actress Bijou Phillips] 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 charges filed against Masterson are based on a complaint which states that he allegedly raped a 23-year-old woman between January and December 2001. Followed by this, in April 2003, he allegedly raped a 28-year-old woman. The third incident was also claimed to have occurred sometime between October and December of the same year when he allegedly raped a 23-year-old woman who he invited to his Hollywood Hills home.
In 2019, a lawsuit against Masterson, the Church of Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige, was filed for allegedly carrying out a conspiracy to cover up the star's alleged sexual misconduct and harassment. This lawsuit, in which two of women were named and two others were addressed as Jane Does claims that the defendant "systemically stalked, harassed, invaded their and their family's privacy, and intentionally caused them emotional distress to silence and intimidate them."
In 2019, when the lawsuit had been filed, a representative of the Church of Scientology claimed that the lawsuit filed by the women was "ludicrous and a sham". Masterson then claimed innocence and denied all allegations. However, he was fired from his role in Netflix's 'The Ranch' as a result of the same. The lawsuit is ongoing.