Danny Masterson Found Guilty on Two Counts of Rape

Danny Masterson, former star of the now-tainted That ’70s Show, has been convicted of two counts of rape after a lengthy trial. After eight days of deliberation, a jury found Masterson guilty of raping two women at his home in the Hollywood Hills in the early 2000s. The jury was not able to reach a consensus as to whether or not he raped a third victim.

Due to a lack of toxicology evidence against Masterson, he was not convicted of drugging the women, yet victims testified that they felt lightheaded after Masterson handed them drinks at his home and passed out before Masterson raped them. Masterson’s third victim testified that she woke up as Masterson was raping her and tried to stop him by pulling his hair.

Masterson, who is a Scientologist, faced a second trial for his crimes after being protected for years by the church of Scientology. His victims were also Scientologists and testified that the church barred them from reporting the assault to the police. After the verdict, Masterson was placed in handcuffs and escorted away by the police, while his wife Bijou Phillips shed tears. Masterson will be held without bail until his sentencing date, which has yet to be set.

“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,” said one of the victims Masterson’s crime in a statement to the Associated Press. Masterson raped her in 2003, and she has waited two decades to see justice done. Another woman, whose testimony left the jury deadlocked, said, “While I’m encouraged that Danny Masterson will face some criminal punishment, I am devastated that he has dodged criminal accountability for his heinous conduct against me.”

A spokesperson for Masterson declined to comment on the outcome of the case, but it is likely that Masterson’s attorneys will appeal the decision. Masterson himself did not testify during the trial, and his lawyers did not call witnesses. Rather, they attempted to defend Masterson by highlighting perceived inconsistencies in the women’s testimonies. They argued that Masterson’s interactions with the women were consensual, and that the changes to the women’s stories were a sign of collaboration between them. “If you decide that a witness deliberately lied about something in this case,” said Masterson’s defense attorney Philip Cohen to jurors in his closing argument, “you should consider not believing anything that witness says.”

The church of Scientology was involved in the first trial, and saw even greater inclusion in the second. The judge allowed testimony on church doctrine from a former scientologist official who has since turned against the church. Leaders at the church of Scientology were incensed by the guilty verdict, saying, “Introduction of religion into this trial was an unprecedented violation of the First Amendment and affects the due process rights of every American. The Church was not a party to this case and religion did not belong in this proceeding as Supreme Court precedent has maintained for centuries.”

Accusers against Masterson said they could feel the church’s presence throughout the trial and expressed that they were intimidated by members in the room. The women testified that when they took their accusations against Masterson to officials at the church, they were placed into an ethics program after being told that they were not raped. They were then cautioned against going to the police and reporting Masterson, who has high standing in the church’s hierarchy.

“They were raped, they were punished for it, and they were retaliated against,” said Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller in his closing argument. “Scientology told them there’s no justice for them.” The church called this characterization of Scientology “uniformly false.” The organization itself has fallen into hot water regarding its involvement in the trial and will soon be subject to a court hearing to determine if church officials had obtained confidential evidence that the prosecution had shared with the defense.

A rape conviction in the state of California carries a maximum sentence of eight years. If given the maximum penalty on both counts, Masterson will be in prison for 16 years. No matter the sentence, it is safe to say that his career is over for good.

(featured image: Lucy Nicholson – Pool/Getty Images)