Earlier this year, Danny Masterson was convicted of rape in an L.A. court. Now, the actor’s prison sentence for that conviction has been revealed. Variety reports that Masterson has been sentenced to 30 years behind bars. In June, Masterson was found guilty of two counts of rape against women who previously were members of the Church of Scientology, of which the actor is currently still a member. The jury — made of up seven women and five men — found themselves deadlocked on a third charge after deliberating for a week.
At the sentencing, the three victims spoke out, asking the judge to give Masterson life in prison for ruining their lives. Jane Doe 1 called The Ranch alum “a true coward and heartless monster.” Jane Doe 2 spoke directly to Masterson from across the courtroom, saying, “I still have to contend with what you did to me that night… That takes a life’s worth of therapy to repair. Every time I think I’m okay, that rape comes back to me.” Lastly, Jane Doe 3 shared with the judge that she’s since been diagnosed with PTSD from her encounter with Masterson. Variety noted that Masterson, in turn, did not speak at his sentencing.
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While handing down the sentence, Judge Charlaine Olmedo said to the actor, “Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice and choice. Your actions 20 years ago were criminal, and that is why you are here.” Masterson was given 15 years to life in prison on each of the two charges, with Judge Olmedo ordering him to serve both terms consecutively.
Masterson is best known for playing high school slacker Steven Hyde on That ’70s Show for the show’s eight-season run on Fox. Years later, Masterson and Ashton Kutcher — another star of That ’70s Show — re-teamed for The Ranch, on Netflix. However, in 2017, multiple women filed sexual assault reports against Masterson, prompting Netflix to fire him. Those allegations became charges on three counts of forcible rape relating to incidents involving three women from 2001 to 2003.
The first sexual assault trial against Masterson came to a close in November 2022, with the jury hung on all charges. At the time Variety reported, Judge Olmedo advised the parties involved that the jurors were not able to reach a unanimous verdict after nearly two weeks of deliberation. She read a note from the jurors that stated: “We are not even close to coming to a unanimous decision on any count, and are convinced this will not change.” The actor was later given a new trial date, which ended with the aforementioned conviction.
