Known best as Steven Hyde in That ’70s Show, Danny Masterson has been convicted of two counts of forcible r*pe in a retrial. The actor, who is a Scientology devotee, was reportedly protected by the Church for years after he s*xually assaulted the victims. And in light of the retrial and Masterson’s conviction, fans are lining up on social media platforms to denounce him for the same.
Danny Masterson Found Guilty in R*pe Retrial
Danny Masterson was found guilty of two out of three counts of forcible r*pe by a Los Angeles jury on Wednesday with the third count being deadlocked. Masterson, 47, was accused of drugging and s*xually assaulting the victims during separate incidents which took place between 2001 and 2003 at his Hollywood Hills home.
In 2020, he was arrested on r*pe charges following a painstaking investigation into the matter. But The Ranch star pleaded not guilty to all three allegations, and the first trial, which took place in November 2022, was concluded as a mistrial. In his retrial, however, the jury declared him guilty after about a week’s worth of deliberations.
The three women who Masterson allegedly attacked, were members of the Church of Scientology along with the actor himself; one of the victims also happens to be a former girlfriend of his. While the women in question eventually extricated themselves from the Church, Masterson has remained a member throughout the years.
Fans Bash That ’70s Show Star & His Scientology Affiliation
According to reports, all three women had been discouraged by the Church from reaching out to law enforcement and reporting any of Masterson’s transgressions. Sources claim that this was a ploy stretched out to protect the latter but the Church previously told ABC News that no such “policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of Scientologists or of anyone, to law enforcement” is entertained within the organization.
Even so, fans have been rendered absolutely implacable about the whole thing –
Masterson faces up to 30 years in prison and a hearing for the same is due on August 4, 2023.
Source: ABC News
