Danny Masterson: That 70s Show star to stand trial for rape

Danny Masterson
Rich Fury/Invision/AP
Leah Sinclair22 May 2021

That 70s Show actor Danny Masterson will stand trial on three counts of rape, a judge said on Friday.

Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, ruled that prosecutors had provided enough evidence for the case to go to trial.

The allegations occurred at the height of Mr Masterson’s fame when he starred as Steven Hyde on the sitcom That 70s Show from 1998 to 2006 alongside Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace.

He is also accused of attacking a 28-year-old woman in April 2003 as well as raping a 23-year-old he had invited to his Hollywood Hills home between October and December that year.

All of the alleged attacks took place at Mr Masterson’s home, prosecutors said.

The actor has denied the charges.

According to AP, his attorney, Thomas Mesereau, said Mr Masterson had consensual sex with the women and that he would prove his client’s innocence.

If convicted as charged, Mr Masterson faces a maximum sentence of 45 years to life in state prison.

Mr Masterson, who has been free on bail since he was charged June 2020, is due back in court for an arraignment on June 7.

In a statement, Netflix said: “As a result of ongoing discussions, Netflix and the producers have written Danny Masterson out of The Ranch.”

His dismissal from the show came in the wake of mass allegations against the now-jailed Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, who was accused of sexual misconduct following a New York Times investigation in October 2017.

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