US actor Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years in prison for rape

The US actor Danny Masterson (47, “The Wild Seventies”) has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for rape. Judge Charlaine Olmedo set the sentence on Thursday in Los Angeles, as US media unanimously reported. Masterson was found guilty in a criminal trial at the end of May.

Twelve jurors found Masterson guilty of raping two women in 2003, prosecutors said. However, in a third case involving rape allegations by another woman, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Masterson had always denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty. All sexual acts were consensual, the actor asserted during the trial.

Wife in the courtroom

Masterson attended the announcement of the sentence in silence on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reported. Several family members were in the courtroom, including Masterson’s wife, actress Bijou Phillips.

It was the second case against the actor. The first criminal trial ended inconclusively in November 2022. At the time, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict in any of the three cases. The responsible judge then declared a so-called mistrial. The prosecution reopened the case this year.

Investigations from 2017

The police investigation began in 2017. A former girlfriend of the actor was also among the plaintiffs. The women described similar circumstances, that Masterson drugged them in his home and then raped them. The controversial Scientology organization, which calls itself a church, was also addressed in the proceedings. Masterson is a prominent member, and the plaintiffs were also members of the organization at times, as US media reported.

Masterson has been married to actress Bijou Phillips since 2011. The couple has a daughter. The actor became known with the comedy series “The Wild Seventies,” in which he played Steven Hyde, who always wore sunglasses, from 1998 to 2006.