After six years of legal proceedings, actor Danny Masterson was found guilty on two counts of rape in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday. The 47-year-old former star of the hit sitcom “That ’70s Show” now faces up to 30 years to life in prison.
Masterson had been accused by three different women of raping them between 2001 and 2003. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and his first trial ended with a hung jury in 2020. However, after a retrial this week, the jury found him guilty on two counts of forcible rape.
The actor has denied all allegations against him since they were first brought forward in 2017 by one of his accusers, Chrissie Carnell Bixler. Bixler is an actress and former girlfriend of Masterson who claims he raped her multiple times during their relationship.
In addition to Bixler’s accusations, two other women also came forward with similar stories about Masterson’s alleged behavior. All three women have been outspoken about their experiences and have advocated for justice throughout the legal process.
Masterson’s conviction comes after a long battle that has included numerous delays due to his defense team’s attempts to discredit the accusers’ testimonies and challenge evidence presented by prosecutors. His lawyers argued that the case was motivated by religious discrimination against Masterson’s membership in the Church of Scientology, which all three accusers are former members of as well.
Despite these efforts, however, Masterson was found guilty on Wednesday and now faces up to 30 years to life in prison when he is sentenced later this year. The verdict marks a major victory for survivors of sexual assault everywhere who have long fought for justice against powerful men like Masterson who have escaped accountability for too long.
Danny Masterson’s conviction sends a strong message that no one is above the law — not even celebrities or members of powerful organizations like Scientology — and that survivors will be heard and believed when they come forward with their stories.
