What did Danny Masterson do? Charges explored as ‘That 70’s Show’ actor found guilty in retrial

In a Los Angeles retrial on Wednesday, May 31, That ‘70s Show actor Danny Masterson was found guilty by the jury, which consisted of five men and seven women, of two counts of r*pe. According to prosecutors, Danny Masterson r*ped his long-time girlfriend and two other women between 2001 and 2003 in his Hollywood Hills residence.

Trigger warning: The article contains references to r*pe and s*xual abuse. Readers’ discretion is advised.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón confirmed that the actor faces up to 30 years to life in a state prison. He further stated that they are disappointed that Masterson was not convicted on all three counts.

According to Gascón, apart from his girlfriend, the victims included a 23-year-old woman who was s*xually assaulted somewhere between October and December 2003. The other victim was a 28-year-old woman who reportedly was r*ped in April of the same year.

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Prosecutors argued that Danny Masterson s*xually assaulted three women, including his long-time girlfriend

On Wednesday, actor Danny Masterson was found guilty of two counts of r*pe. He was accused of raping three women, including his long-time girlfriend, by calling them at his Hollywood Hills residence and drugging their drinks. Prosecutors further mentioned that Masterson used his prominence in the Church of Scientology to r*pe these women and get away with it for decades.

Several former and current Scientologists were also in the room during the trial. Tensions rose when the accusers revealed that they were intimidated by some of the current members. The women, who also became members of the church, claimed that they had reported Danny Masterson to the church. However, they were warned against contacting the police.

Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller said in his closing statement:

“They were r*ped, they were punished for it, and they were retaliated against. Scientology told them there’s no justice for them. You have the opportunity to show them there is justice.”

Meanwhile, the church denied all claims of not allowing its members from contacting law enforcement officials. As of yet, the identities of the victims have not been revealed by the authorities to respect their privacy. Although the victims claimed that Masterson drugged them, there has been no toxicology evidence to corroborate the same. Hence, he was not charged with any counts of drugging.

Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson said:

“The defendant drugs his victims to gain control. He does this to take away his victims’ ability to consent.”

Moreover, the defense team argued that the acts were consensual and tried to disregard the stories of the women focusing on possible inconsistencies. Defense lawyer Philip Cohen told jurors in his closing argument:

“If you decide that a witness deliberately lied about something in this case, you should consider not believing anything that witness says.”

One of the victims, whom Danny Masterson was convicted of r*ping, issued a statement that stated:

“I am experiencing a complex array of emotions – relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness – knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will face accountability for his criminal behavior.”

Following this, actor Leah Remini, one of the biggest critics of the Church of Scientology, took to Twitter and described the verdict to be a “relief.” She also wrote that the survivors of this heinous crime are heroes. In addition, she revealed that the victim who did not receive a guilty verdict on her charges was Chrissie Bixler and mentioned how the church wanted to destroy the victim.