Fans of the show may be curious as to how Danny landed his gig on the sitcom in the first place, though. He also starred as the beloved "Steven Hyde" in the hit Television series That 70`s Show. [12] The original casting director for That '70s Show, Debby Romano, resisted Masterson's audition because he was slightly older than the rest of the cast, but ultimately allowed him to audition. He also said the woman had previously given conflicting accounts as to whether she had consensual sex with Masterson in 2002. appreciated. After she went to the police, she said people associated with the church loitered outside her home, looked through her windows and filmed her home and family, according to the lawsuit. The "That '70s Show" star is accused of raping a 23-year-old woman in 2001, according to the complaint. These days, hes more into working on his entrepreneurial endeavors than popping up on the big screen, investing in companies such as Skype and Airbnb. In May, journalist Tony Ortega revealed that Masterson hired power lawyer Thomas Mesereau to serve as his criminal defense attorney. Tony Ortega, a former editor of The Village Voice, reported in 2017 that at least three of the women claimed they were pressured to keep quiet by the Church of Scientology, to which they and Masterson belonged. Three of the women had been personally involved with the church. We cant forget Fez! The people who know Mr. Masterson know his character and know the allegations to be false, the statement said. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Danny Masterson, the actor best known for his role in That '70s Show, must stand trial on three counts of rape, a judge said on Friday. The first of three women accusing the That 70s Show actor of sexual assault took the stand in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Church of Scientology denied that it had pressured victims. Mila Kuniss Biggest Roles, Including That 70s Show, What Happened Between Brittany Snow And Tyler Stanaland. She is one of three women Masterson is charged with raping between 2001 and 2003. In December 2017, Netflix announced that Masterson had been fired from the Emmy-winning scripted comedy "The Ranch" amid sexual assault allegations. Masterson stated that he is "obviously very disappointed in Netflix's decision to write my character off of The Ranch. The 45-year-old actor, best known for "That '70s Show" and "The Ranch," is accused of raping three women at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003. The idea was that they all had to be 18 to audition, but Danny was about 22 at the time. All of the allegations of rape occurred in the actors home, the news release said. Download the NBC News app for breaking news and alerts. 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman Is a Proud Mom of 14: See Her Kids Today! The woman said she believed at the time that if she violated the churchs doctrine she would be excommunicated from the church and disavowed by her family and friends, many of whom were also Scientologists. He also has a paternal half-brother, Will Masterson. Masterson's attorney, Tom Mesereau, insisted in a statement to NBC News that the actor was innocent and that he would be exonerated when "all the evidence comes to light. The New York native along with former costars Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Wilmer Valderrama and Laura Prepon were later announced to be reprising their roles in guest-starring positions when the spinoff premieres in January 2023. Masterson is best known for his role as Steven Hyde on the period teen sitcom "That '70s Show," which aired for eight seasons on the Fox network from 1998-2006. The other two accusers are expected to testify later this week. At the time, Masterson said he was obviously very disappointed by the decision, in a statement to CNN. Masterson starred in "The Ranch" with Ashton Kutcher and was an executive producer for the show. Mesereau pressed the court that the media presence would be unfairly prejudicial to Masterson and taint potential jurors. [56] The defense filed a motion to dismiss the case based on a lack of evidence presented during the May preliminary hearing, prompting Judge Olmedo to send a motion that this request be heard before another judge on November 10, 2021. -- a former girlfriend who had a six-year, live-in relationship with the actor -- testified that she reported to a church ethics official that she believed she was the victim of rape during an alleged incident of non-consensual sex with Masterson. Jennifer B. testified that she was a second-generation church member when she met Masterson and struggled to maintain her composure as she described the alleged sexual assault. June 7, 2021 / 4:30 PM Now that Danny Masterson is on trial after being charged with raping 3 women, many hitherto unknown facts about the alleged crimes have surfaced. If convicted, Masterson faces a possible sentence of up to 45 years to life in state prison. Deputy Dist. Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms. The people who know Mr. Masterson know his character and know the allegations to be false.. They have one child. Born March 13, 1976, Daniel Peter "Danny" Masterson is best known for his role as the rebellious teen who ends up being adopted into the Forman family on the Fox sitcom That '70s Show which ran eight consecutive seasons from 1998 until concluding with the 200 th episode on May 18, 2006. In that lawsuit, four women have accused Masterson of sexually assaulting them and alleged that, after they came forward, the actor and church officials teamed up to intimidate them into silence. Masterson's arrest came after a three-year investigation that resulted in the rare prosecution of a famous Hollywood figure in the #MeToo era. Bill Cosby also hired Mesereau for a retrial of sexual assault charges in Pennsylvania. "We're just trying to protect his rights. "The people who know Mr. Masterson know his character and know the allegations to be false.". ( Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. But I would love to do it.. In court papers responding to the accusations by the women, a lawyer for Masterson called the lawsuit a money grab and a publicity stunt orchestrated by Mastersons ex-girlfriends. A lawyer for the church described one of the womens claims in court papers as false and malicious" and said her experiences with her trash disappearing and people loitering near her house were simply the price of modern, urban life., That 70s Show Actor Danny Masterson Charged With Raping 3 Women, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/arts/television/danny-masterson-rape-charged.html. Heres a timeline, Crusading vet treats some of L.A.s most cherished residents: The pets of skid row, The Times podcast: How the California GOP lost its national sway, Veterans claim anti-vet bias in Metros choice of muralist for a new VA station, California faces catastrophic flood dangers and a need to invest billions in protection, Caregiver sentenced to life in prison for unspeakable sexual abuse of disabled children. Masterson faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted on all charges. Los Angeles police took a report, but the district attorneys office declined to file charges against Masterson at the time. [23][24] He started dating Bijou Phillips in 2004,[25] they became engaged in 2009,[26] and married on October 18, 2011. The woman also said Masterson pulled out a pistol and threatened her at one point during the assault. [36][42], On January 22, 2020, Bixler-Zavala reported that a second of his family pets had to be put down due to being fed rat poison wrapped inside a rolled-up piece of raw meat, alleging this was done by Scientologists in response to his repeated public statements alleging Masterson raped his wife (who was one of the four women who filed suit against Masterson). The defense has also accused the women of coordinating their testimony, allegations that L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller rejects. It's no doubt a challenging time for the actor and his family, plus his fellow cast members. [38], Cedric Bixler-Zavala, singer for the bands The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In, alleged that Masterson sexually assaulted his wife, and stated At the Drive-In's song "Incurably Innocent" (from the 2017 album Inter alia) is about the incident. Who is Danny Masterson? A pretrial hearing was set for August 9, 2021. Mastersons arrest came after a three-year investigation that resulted in the rare prosecution of a famous Hollywood figure in the #MeToo era. There is no truth to this outrageous allegation whatsoever, Pouw said. He married actress Bijou Phillips in 2011 and together they share a daughter, Fianna. [5] He has a brother, actor Christopher Masterson, who played Francis on Malcolm in the Middle. She said she tried to fight Masterson off with a pillow. On the one hand, it is a shame that . His defense attorney also stated that one of the Jane Does had obtained money from Masterson in 2004. ", "We are thankful that the Los Angeles County District Attorneys office is finally seeking criminal justice against Masterson after a three-year investigation," the statement read. Danny Masterson almost wasn't on 'That '70s Show,' but he wound up impressing producers to make it happen. No one knows for sure what the details are or what truly happened years ago with Danny and the alleged victims. Richard Winton is an investigative crime writer for the Los Angeles Times and part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for public service in 2011. Legal Statement. His arraignment has been postponed several times since. The three counts of rape by force or fear come after a three-year investigation of Masterson, 44. Danny Masterson of That '70s Show charged with raping 3 women, Netflix fires actor Danny Masterson amid sexual assault allegations, CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. His arraignment is scheduled for September 18. The Associated Press contributed to this report. There is no prohibition from reporting crimes to law enforcement in any Scientology policy.. The woman recounted the alleged rape and what she described as efforts by Scientology officials to silence her during nearly six hours of sometimes tearful testimony Tuesday in a hearing to determine whether the case against Masterson will proceed to trial. Mastersons accusers are also part of a civil lawsuit filed against him in 2019. Masterson, she alleged, carried her from a poolside area to an upstairs bathroom, where he stuck his fingers down the womans throat to make her vomit. The That '70s Show actor pleaded not guilty to. Masterson is charged with forcibly raping three women in separate incidents occurring between 2001 and 2003, a press release from the District Attorneys Office said. Atty. The alleged victims in a statement distributed by their attorneys said in part, "all we have wanted was justice, accountability, and truth. Along with 70's costars Ashton Kutcher and Wilmer Valderrama, he co-hosted the Fox TV special Woodstock 1999. This is the 2nd dog we've had to put down due', "Danny Masterson rape accuser blames Church of Scientology and 'That 70s Show' star for death of her two pet dogs", "Actor Danny Masterson Pleads Not Guilty to Raping Three Women", "Actor Danny Masterson pleads not guilty to alleged rapes, surrenders passport", "Actor Danny Masterson must stand trial on 3 rape charges", "Actor Danny Masterson ordered to stand trial on 3 rape charges", "Danny Masterson subpoenas on Leah Remini show and LAPD involving Scientology boss David Miscavige blasted by judge", "Judge slaps down defense subpoenas in Danny Masterson rape case", "Danny Masterson Loses Bid to Toss Felony Rape Case", "Danny Masterson attorney asks for trial hold to focus on Trevor Bauer appeal", "Danny Masterson Opts Not to Testify in Rape Trial", "Danny Masterson Jury Hasn't Reached Verdict, Must Return For Deliberations After Thanksgiving", "Mistrial declared in actor Danny Masterson's rape trial", "Review: Impulsive free-for-all 'Urge' masquerades as a thriller but doesn't get high enough", 13 Completed Movies That Were Never Released, From 'Batgirl' to 'Scoob! 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