Danny Masterson of That ’70s Show fame was just sentenced to 30 years to life in prison by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo for the rapes of two women two decades prior. He remained mostly expressionless throughout the hearing, wearing a suit as the women detailed the incident and their suffering since then. The actor has been detained since May.
“When you raped me, you stole from me,” one of the victims said, who Masterson was convicted of raping in 2003. “That’s what rape is, a theft of the spirit.” She added, “You are pathetic, disturbed and completely violent. The world is better off with you in prison.”
Danny Masterson gets 30 years to life in prison for rapes of multiple women
The other woman whom Masterson was convicted of raping reported to the judge that he had “not shown an ounce of remorse for the pain he caused,” and expressed her regret for not reporting him sooner to the police. Following an initial juried failure to render a verdict in December, prosecutors retried the original three counts of rape against him in early 2021.
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The jury of seven women and five men found Masterson guilty of two counts of rape that had occurred in his Hollywood-area home in 2003, during the time he was on the Fox network sitcom That ’70s Show. Despite the 8-4 vote in favor of conviction, the jury failed to reach a verdict on the third count, which alleged Masterson had also raped a longtime girlfriend. At the time of the judge’s decision, Masterson chose not to speak before being sentenced and displayed no visible reaction. His wife, actor Bijou Phillips, was tearful earlier during the hearing.
“Mr. Masterson, I know that you’re sitting here steadfast in your claims of innocence, and thus no doubt feeling victimized by a justice system that has failed you,” Judge Olmedo told Masterson before handing down the sentence. “But Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice, and choice. One way or another you will have to come to terms with your prior actions, and their consequences.”
