'That 70s Show' star Danny Masterson's sentencing comes after he received a guilty verdict in his rape retrial
Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted of rape.
Masterson was found guilty on two counts of forcible rape in May. The jury was hung on a third charge during the trial after the seven men and five women deliberated for eight days.
30 years was the maximum sentence Masterson could receive.
"Niesha and Chrissie have displayed tremendous strength and bravery, by coming forward to law enforcement and participating directly in two grueling criminal trials," Alison Anderson, partner at Boies Shiller Flexner LLP, and attorney for Jane Does 2 and 3, said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"Despite persistent harassment, obstruction and intimidation, these courageous women helped hold a ruthless sexual predator accountable today, and they are not stopping there. They are eager to soon tell the fuller story of how Scientology and its enablers tried desperately to keep them from coming forward."
DANNY MASTERSON FOUND GUILTY IN RAPE RETRIAL
Danny Masterson was found guilty of rape in May. (Myung J. Chun)
The judge heard impact statements from both victims before issuing Masterson's sentence.
"When you raped me, you stole from me," said one woman who Masterson was convicted of raping in 2003. "That’s what rape is, a theft of the spirit."
"You are pathetic, disturbed and completely violent," she said. "The world is better off with you in prison."
The other woman Masterson was found guilty of raping said he "has not shown an ounce of remorse for the pain he caused." She told the judge, "I knew he belonged behind bars for the safety of all the women he came into contact with. I am so sorry, and I’m so upset. I wish I’d reported him sooner to the police."
Masterson watched the women without visible reaction as they spoke.
Bijou Phillips wept as Danny was led away from court in handcuffs after the verdict was read. (Myung J. Chun)
The former "That '70s Show" actor was on trial for the second time in less than six months after his first ended in a mistrial.
Masterson initially faced up to 45 years in prison if he was found guilty on three counts of rape by force or fear on alleged sexual assaults, which occurred between 2001 and 2003 at his Hollywood Hills home.
His wife, actor and model Bijou Phillips, gasped when the verdict was read and wept as he was led away. Other family and friends sat stone-faced.
Prosecutors told jurors that Masterson drugged the women’s drinks so he could rape them. They said he used his prominence in the church — where all three women were also members at the time — to avoid consequences for decades.
The accusers alleged they were hesitant to file charges due to the church's strict protocols against public involvement with member issues.
"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," one of the accusers, whom Masterson was convicted of raping at his home in 2003, said in a statement provided by the attorneys at Boies Schiller Flexner to Fox News Digital.
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Danny Masterson was charged with three counts of rape stemming from alleged assaults between 2001 and 2003. (Lucy Nicholson)
Another Jane Doe said, "I thank the jury for its service, and 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.
"Despite my disappointment in this outcome, I remain determined to secure justice, including in civil court, where I, along with my co-plaintiffs, will shine a light on how Scientology and other conspirators enabled and sought to cover up Masterson’s monstrous behavior."
Masterson's legal team 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.
Masterson was arrested in June 2020 and had been free on a $3.3 million bond. Masterson pleaded not guilty to the charges and has maintained his innocence.
Danny Masterson starred in "That '70s Show" alongside Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher. (Photo by FOX Image Collection via Getty Images)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
