Danny Masterson Trial: Everything To Know About The Rape Charges, Court Proceedings, & More

• Three rape charges person been brought against Danny Masterson.
• The actor’s connections to the Church of Scientology are expected to beryllium brought up successful the trial.
• Danny Masterson was fired from ‘The Ranch’ connected Netflix erstwhile the allegations were brought to light.
• Danny Masterson’s proceedings began connected Tuesday, October 11. He faces up to 45 years successful prison.

Danny Masteron’s trial for 3 rape charges began connected Tuesday, October 11. The actor, 46, was accused by 3 women of intersexual battle backmost successful 2017, and the women filed a suit against him successful 2019. The pursuing year, Danny was arrested connected 3 charges of rape from cases successful 2003. Danny has moved for the lawsuit to beryllium thrown out, but helium has not succeeded. A proceedings was primitively scheduled to statesman successful Los Angeles successful August, but it was delayed until October. Now that the proceedings has begun, find retired everything you request to cognize astir Danny and the charges against him.

Danny stands successful tribunal successful September 2020. ( LUCY NICHOLSON/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)

The Latest On The Trial

The transgression proceedings against the histrion began connected October 11. The proceedings is abstracted from the civilian suit filed by 4 of Danny’s victims, who are besides suing the Church of Scientology. The women person besides spoken retired against the church. While the proceedings is inactive successful the aboriginal stages, Judge Charlaine Olmedo commented connected the relation of the arguable religion successful a pre-trial hearing, per Variety. “This is not going to go a proceedings connected Scientology,” she had said.

The Charges Against Danny Masterson

Sexual battle allegations were archetypal brought against Danny successful March 2017 Three women accused the histrion of sexually assaulting them, though the That 70s Show star has denied the claims. After the claims came out, The Mars Volta frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala came guardant and said that his woman Chrissie Carnell Bixler was 1 of the victims successful a since-deleted tweet. Danny was fired from the Netflix series The Ranch in December 2017. Shortly aft his firing, Bobette Riales came guardant to impeach him of raping her. Two years aft the probe was launched, 4 women, 2 of whom were listed arsenic Jane Does, arsenic good arsenic Chrissie and Bobette, filed a suit against Danny and the Church of Scientology, citing stalking and harassment.

Following the 2019 filing, Danny singled retired 1 of the victims and said helium was prepared for the ineligible conflict from the lawsuit. “I volition bushed her successful tribunal — and look guardant to it due to the fact that the nationalist volition yet beryllium capable larn the information and spot however I’ve been railroaded by this woman. And erstwhile her suit is thrown out, I mean to writer her and the others who jumped connected the bandwagon for the harm they caused maine and my family,” helium said successful a connection to People. 

The suit isn’t the taxable of the October proceedings though. In June 2020, Danny was arrested and charged with allegedly raping 3 women for incidents betwixt 2001 and 2003. The alleged victims were a 23-year-old pistillate successful January and December 2001, different 23-year-old successful October and December 2003, and a 28-year-old successful April 2003. The Men At Work star’s attorney Tom Mesereau maintained his innocence successful a connection astatine the time. “Obviously, Mr. Masterson and his woman are successful implicit daze considering that these astir 20-year aged allegations are abruptly resulting successful charges being filed, but they and their household are comforted knowing that yet the information volition travel out. The radical who cognize Mr. Masterson cognize his quality and cognize the allegations to beryllium false,” helium said.  After pleading “not guilty” successful 2021, Danny was released connected bail. 

Danny was fired from ‘The Ranch’ for the allegations. (Eric Charbonneau/Invision/AP/Shutterstock)

The Scientology Connection

As mentioned above, the women suing Danny person besides filed their suit against the Church of Scientology. Danny is simply a subordinate of the church, and 3 of the women who person accused him are erstwhile members, including Chrissie and her husband. The women claimed that they were pressured to not stock their allegations by the church, and since coming forward, the victims person claimed to beryllium harassed by the church. The Mars Volta vocalist has claimed that Scientologists harassed his household and adjacent poisoned their household dog, aft the allegations came out. In since-deleted societal media posts, Cedric claimed that radical person gone by his house, harassed his household connected societal media, slashed tires and more, via MetalSucks. 

During a pre-trial hearing, the women spoke astir being disquieted to travel guardant with their allegations, owed to his engagement successful the church. The religion denied pressuring the women successful a connection to The New York Times, following Danny’s firing from The Ranch. “What is being stated is utterly untrue,” the enactment said. “This has thing to bash with religion. This communicative is being manipulated to propulsion a bigoted agenda.”

Is Danny Masterson Still Married?

Danny has been romantically progressive with Bijou Phillips, 42, since 2004. The mates yet got joined successful October 2011, and they stock a daughter Fiona, 8. Through each the allegations, Danny and Bijou person stayed married. In Danny’s lawyer’s statement, she was mentioned arsenic besides being “shocked” by the allegations, and she seems to beryllium lasting by him.

Danny Masterson’s Career

Danny is astir well-known for his relation connected ‘That 70s Show.’ (20th Century Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection)

Danny has been successful the amusement concern for astir of his life. He was kid exemplary and aboriginal teen actor, appearing successful commercials. His astir well-known relation continues to beryllium his portion successful That 70s Show, wherever helium played Steven Hyde for each 8 seasons. He’s appeared successful movies specified as Face/Off (1997) and Dracula 2000 (2000). Since the sitcom ended, he’s had roles successful the series Men At Work from 2012 to 2014 and The Ranch from 2016 to 2018. After the allegations came out, Danny was fired from The Ranch in December 2017. Netflix released a connection astir his firing. “As a effect of ongoing discussions, Netflix and the producers person written Danny Masterson retired of ‘The Ranch,'” the institution said.

While Danny hasn’t appeared successful thing since getting written off The Ranch, he has been announced arsenic portion of the formed of Killing Winston Jones, which is said to beryllium completed, and the upcoming film In Limbo, per IMDb.