That '70s Show Star Danny Masterson Gets THE BOOK Thrown At Him In Prison Sentence For Rape
Danny Masterson will be spending a LOOONG time behind bars.
The That ’70s Show alum was officially sentenced for his rape conviction on Thursday with a Los Angeles Superior Court judge handing down a sentence of 30 years to life in prison, according to NBC News. He won’t be eligible for parole for 25.5 years. He’ll also have to register as a sex offender upon parole or release — if he ever gets out!
This is the harshest possible punishment available by law, BTW. So, wow!! They’re making a statement with that sentencing!
Of course, Danny will be serving this time for being found guilty of forcibly raping two women between 2001 and 2003. He was also accused of sexually assaulting a former girlfriend, but a jury couldn’t come to a unanimous decision about that charge.
Prosecutors alleged The Ranch star, who was arrested for these alleged crimes in 2020, sexually assaulted three women (on three separate occasions) at his Hollywood Hills home. They allegedly all met him through the Church of Scientology — which denies claims they pressured the women not to report the allegations. But after hearing both sides, the jury was ultimately unable to come to a decision on all three charges and it was deemed a mistrial.
Earlier this year, a whole new trial began and the three accusers each gave testimonies while the 47-year-old chose not to speak. His verdict came in May — and his wife Bijou Phillips, who is sticking by his side through all this, was seen in tears and reprimanded for causing a scene as he was led away in handcuffs.
Bet she’s gutted by the news today! He might never see the light of day again. And that’s gotta be especially tough for his 9-year-old daughter, Fianna Francis…
https://www.instagram.com/p/CjUaEqru5Sv/
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That said, Bijou was WAY more collected in court on Thursday! Per ET, she wore sunglasses and remained calm as the jail time was announced. Afterward, she and Danny’s mom rushed off to a waiting vehicle. Masterson’s brother, Christopher, was also in attendance. Deadline reports they all “quietly wept” during the hearing.
We’re sure the victims are pleased justice has finally being served. When the verdict came in a few months ago, Jane Doe #2 told NBC News she felt “relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness” following the result, although she did note that she was “disappointed that he was not convicted on all counts.”
She added:
“But I take great solace in the fact that he, the Church of Scientology, and others will have to fully account for their abhorrent actions in civil court.”
Jane Doe #3, whose charge the jury didn’t reach a verdict on, also said she felt “devastated” her alleged abuser “dodged criminal accountability for his heinous conduct against me.”
We can completely understand why she would be disappointed by that. But we’d say the judge certainly didn’t skimp on his sentencing just ’cause there were fewer guilty verdicts.
Consensus on social media seems to be relief that the perp is headed away for a long time, plus praise that the Church of Scientology and its members are no longer immune to consequences, as one person pointed out on X (Twitter):
“Scientology/ists used to be untouchable so this is a big deal.”
Good point!
Per Deadline, the defense has 60 days to appeal and they are expected to do so quickly. So, this drama might not be over yet…
Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Were you surprised by the amount of time he got?
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
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