Michelle ThompsonDanny Masterson, a US actor, was found guilty of raping two women and was given a sentence of 30 years to life in jail.
At the time of his offenses in the early 2000s, Masterson was a cast member of the TV show That ’70s Show.
Masterson, 47, was accused of avoiding responsibility by relying on his fame as a famous Scientologist, according to the prosecution.
Before imposing a sentence, Judge Charlaine Olmedo enabled the victims of his acts to read impact statements in court.
Leah Remini, a well-known former Scientologist and actress, was present at the court on Thursday and consoled the women before and after they gave their testimony.
US media stated that one of the women remarked, “I wish I had reported him to the police earlier.”
I’m sorry, another woman said to Masterson. I can no longer bear your illness, according to Reuters.
Masterson didn’t say anything at all during the hearing.
His wife, Bijou Phillips, was spotted in court sobbing as the judge pronounced his sentence—the harshest penalty permitted.
After the initial jury was unable to reach a verdict in 2022, Masterson underwent a retrial and was found guilty in May. After being found guilty, Masterson was placed under jail because he posed a flight risk.
Three women who said he had sexually assaulted them at his Hollywood home between 2001 and 2003—during the height of his television fame—led to the actor’s conviction.
He gave them drugs before assaulting them, according to testimony presented to the jury.
Of his three accusers, he was found guilty of rape by two of them. A mistrial was declared over the third accuser’s allegations, and the prosecution stated they have no plans to retry the case.
In a statement provided to BBC News, Alison Anderson, a lawyer for two of the victims, said that the ladies “have displayed tremendous strength and bravery, by coming forward to law enforcement and directly participating in two grueling criminal trials.”
These brave women helped hold a cruel sexual predator accountable today “despite persistent harassment, obstruction, and intimidation,” she said.
Prosecutors claimed throughout the trial that the Church of Scientology had assisted in covering up the assaults, a claim that the group has vehemently refuted.
Both Masterson and all three of his accusers were Scientologists at the time of the attacks. Many of the women claimed it took them years to come forward because Church of Scientology leaders allegedly told them not to call the police about the rape.
Prosecutors claim that Scientology leaders threatened one survivor with losing her membership unless she agreed to a non-disclosure agreement and took a $400,000 (£320,000) payment.
Judge Olmedo permitted discussion of the theology and practices of Scientology during the trial, which infuriated the group.
The Church of Scientology said there was “not a scintilla of evidence supporting the scandalous allegations that the Church harassed the accusers” in a statement following the verdict in May.
One woman testified in court on Thursday about being rejected by her mother, a Scientologist who is still active.
According to her account, “She texted me and told me to never contact her again,” as quoted by the LA Times.
She had told me beforehand that she wanted Danny Masterson to be imprisoned for what he had done to me, but not at the expense of her religion.
Another woman claimed that the Church of Scientology had treated her unfairly ever since she spoke out.
“For almost seven years now, the cult of Scientology has terrorized, harassed, and invaded my privacy daily since the week I came forward to police,” she claimed, adding, “But I don’t regret it.”
At the height of the #MeToo movement in 2017, Masterson was accused of rape for the first time. He refuted the charges and insisted that all of the interactions were consensual.
After a three-year investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department, charges were filed. Due to insufficient evidence and the passing of the statute of limitations, prosecutors decided not to press charges in two other cases.
Jessica Barth, who established Voices in Action in the wake of the #MeToo movement, also attended Thursday’s sentence.
One of the women who accuse scandalized Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of assault was Ms. Barth. Her nonprofit promotes reporting of abuse and encourages others to do the same.
According to a Los Angeles court official, the judge rejected Masterson’s defense team’s plea for a new trial prior to the hearing.
