Actor Danny Masterson, who starred in That 70s Show, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison on Thursday for the rapes of two women two decades ago.
On Thursday, September 7, That 70s Show actor Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in jail after a trial where two women accused him of raping them 20 years ago.
Danny Masterson’s lawyer remains defiant in the wake of the actor’s 30-year sentence for rape, telling the media that the legal fight is not over because his conviction is “not supported by evidence,” Variety reports
However, Masterson was also chastised by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo who told the actor that he was “not the victim here.”
“Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice and choice. Your actions 20 years ago were criminal, and that is why you are here,” Judge Olmedo said, as she sentenced Masterson on September 7 in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom.
The judge sentenced Masterson to 15 years to life on each of the two charges, ordering Masterson to serve both terms consecutively.
The star is currently being held at the Los Angeles County Sheriff Men’s Central Jail as he awaits transfer to a California state prison, where he will serve his full sentence, DailyMail reports.
Why was Danny Masterson sentenced to jail?
On May 31, 2023, a jury of seven women and five men found Masterson guilty of two counts of rape after seven days of deliberations. Both attacks took place in Masterson’s Hollywood Hills home in 2003 when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox network sitcom.
The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend, the Independent reports.
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The verdict came in a second trial after a jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of forcible rape in December 2022 and a mistrial was declared.
Danny Masterson of That 70s show was sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping of 2 women pic.twitter.com/UWRKNLQhZh
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) September 7, 2023
At the sentencing, the three women in the case told the judge that Masterson’s crimes had ruined their lives, and asked the judge to give Masterson life behind bars.
Jane Doe 1 called the actor “a true coward and heartless monster.” Jane Doe 2 said to Masterson across the courtroom, “I still have to contend with what you did to me that night… That takes a life’s worth of therapy to repair. Every time I think I’m okay, that rape comes back to me.” Jane Doe 3 told the judge that she had been diagnosed with PTSD.
The women whose testimony led to Masterson’s conviction said he gave them drinks and they then became woozy or passed out before he violently raped them.
Masterson did not testify, and his lawyers called no witnesses. The defense argued that the acts were consensual and attempted to discredit the women’s stories by highlighting changes and inconsistencies over time, which they said showed signs of coordination between them.
After the sentencing, Masterson’s attorney told reporters outside the courthouse that he plans to appeal his conviction.
“The errors which occurred in this case are substantial, and unfortunately led to verdicts which are not supported by evidence,” Holley said to the media.