A California appeals court has refused to overturn actor Danny Masterson’s rape convictions, allowing his lengthy prison sentence to stand. The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel was detailed in an 89-page ruling issued Tuesday.
The court rejected multiple arguments put forward by Masterson’s legal team, including claims that the trial court made procedural errors and that Masterson received ineffective legal representation. The panel also dismissed arguments that his convictions violated the statute of limitations for forcible rape, noting that the limitation does not apply in cases involving multiple victims.
Masterson, 48, best known for his role on the long-running Fox sitcom “That ’70s Show,” was convicted of raping two women at his home in 2003. His first trial ended in a hung jury in 2022, but a retrial the following year resulted in guilty verdicts on two counts of rape.
A judge sentenced Masterson to 30 years to life in state prison. He has been serving that sentence at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo and will not be eligible for parole for more than two decades.
The case drew significant attention due to Masterson’s ties to the Church of Scientology. His accusers are former church members who alleged that church officials discouraged them from reporting the assaults to law enforcement and told them the incidents did not constitute rape. The Church of Scientology strongly denied having any such policy.
The trial court had also been accused by Masterson’s attorneys of showing bias against his religion, a claim the appeals court rejected along with the others.
Masterson’s defense team responded to the ruling Tuesday by announcing plans to escalate the appeal to the California Supreme Court. The legal battle is expected to continue as the defense pursues every available avenue to challenge the convictions.
Masterson appeared alongside Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace during the run of “That ’70s Show” from 1998 to 2006. He later joined Kutcher on the Netflix comedy series “The Ranch” in 2016 but was removed from the show after the sexual assault allegations became public.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. The hotline is operated by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network and can connect callers with local support services. Online assistance is also available at rainn.org.