Judge to Hear Evidence on Danny Masterson Rape Charges

A Los Angeles judge will hear evidence on Tuesday as prosecutors attempt to prove that actor Danny Masterson should stand trial in the rapes of three women. The That '70s Show actor is charged in a Los Angeles County court with three counts of rape by force or fear for incidents that allegedly occurred between 2001 and 2003 and could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted. He pleaded not guilty to all charges in January.

According to the Associated Press, the preliminary hearing is scheduled to begin Tuesday morning. During the hearing, prosecutors will present evidence that Masterson raped two 23-year-old women, one of whom was assaulted in December 2001 and the other in December 2003, and a 28-year-old woman, who Masterson allegedly assaulted in April of 2003. The crimes, according to the formal charges, reportedly occurred at Masterson's Hollywood Hills home. The outlet notes that such hearing typically offers "a limited glimpse at the broader evidence that would be presented should the case be ordered to trial." Newsweek contacted Masterson's legal team for comment but did not hear back.

The preliminary hearing comes nearly a year after Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey formally announced in June that Masterson had been formally charged. In a joint statement at the time, Masterson's accusers said that they were "thankful that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office is finally seeking criminal justice against Masterson after a three-year investigation." The women said that they "are confident that the truth will be known and hope that the charges filed today are the first steps in this long journey of healing, justice and holding those that victimized us accountable."

Masterson's attorney Thomas Mesereau, who also represented Bill Cosby and Michael Jackson in their sexual misconduct cases, has denied any wrongdoing on the actor's behalf. In a statement after the charges were filed, Mesereau said 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." At a hearing last year, Mesereau said Masterson "is absolutely not guilty and we're going to prove it." He also said the case was politicized and the charges were "the result of unfair hype from media outlets and pressure to prosecute his client as Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey faced an election, which she would later lose," according to the AP.

Masterson, who has been free on a $3.3 million bail since being arrested in June 2020, is also facing a 2019 civil lawsuit from four women alleging that Masterson and the Church of Scientology engaged in stalking, physical invasion of privacy and a conspiracy to obstruct justice. In December, a judge ruled that this lawsuit must be settled in mediation within the Church of Scientology. The accusations of sexual assault against the actor have been around for years, and in December of 2017, he dropped from the Netflix scripted series The Ranch. In March of that same year, news broke that the LAPD was investigating the actor.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.