Danny Masterson's Wife Bijou Phillips Let out a Wail in Court During Guilty Verdict
This week, Danny Masterson was found guilty of rape, and his wife, Bijou Phillips, reportedly let out a wail in the courtroom as the verdict was read aloud. According to ET, the actress was not able to contain her emotions, prompting Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo to reprimand Phillips by telling her to remain composed or exit the courtroom. Afterward, Masterson was remanded into police custody, as he is considered to be a flight risk.
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. While the sentence has not yet been handed down, Masterson faces a possible 30 years behind bars. His next court date is in August.
The actor 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. Per a report from Variety, Judge Charlaine 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."
Per Variety, the jurors advised Judge Olmedo that "they were divided on each charge. The split was two for guilty and 10 for not guilty on Count 1; four for guilty and eight for not guilty on Count 2; and five for guilty and seven for not guilty on Count 3." The actor was later given a new trial date, according to Deadline. The outlet reported that Judge Olmedo had previously set March 29 as the date that jury selection would begin. Additionally, the outlet also noted that L.A. County Deputy District Attorneys Mueller and Ariel Anson confirmed they would prosecute the new trial.