Harrowing evidence leading to Danny Masterson’s sentence came from three brave woman

That 70s Show actor sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping two women

The actor, who maintains his innocence, was convicted on two of three forcible rape charges in May 2023. A jury of seven women and five men found Masterson guilty of the two counts after seven days of deliberations. However, the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend in 2001.

On Thursday (7 September 2023), Masterson was sentenced by a Los Angeles judge.

As he was sentenced to 30 years in prison, Masterson blew a kiss to his wife Bijou Phillips who was in court to hear the powerful victim impact statements that were read out.

What was the evidence that led to Danny Masterson’s sentence? Harrowing statements of three brave women

The testimony of brave women was the main evidence that led to Danny Masterson being jailed. At the sentencing, the three women in the case told the judge that Masterson’s crimes had ruined their lives. They asked the judge to give Masterson life behind bars.

Jane Doe 1 called Masterson “a true coward and heartless monster.”

“I didn’t choose to be born into Scientology, just as I didn’t choose to be raped by Danny Masterson,” she said.

Jane Doe 2 said to Masterson across the courtroom: “I still have to contend with what you did to me that night… That takes a life’s worth of therapy to repair. Every time I think I’m okay, that rape comes back to me.”

“No one is alone,“ Jane Doe 2 added on her own victim statement. “Nowhere felt safe …I have severe PTSD, waves of panic attacks,” she went on to say. “You did this to me and all your victims intentionally.”

“I believed him when he called me stupid, untalented, trash,” said a statement by Jane Doe 3.  The Jane Doe said that she was “regularly abused …and raped repeatedly” in the “cycle of abuse.”

Marsterson did not testify during the trial, and the defense didn’t call any witnesses. They ragued the acts were consensual, and claimed the women’s testimonies had inconsistencies.

He reportedly gave them drinks and they became woozy

The women whose testimony led to Masterson’s conviction said he gave them drinks and they became woozy or passed out before he raped them.

However, the trial that ended with a conviction in May 2023 was Masterson’s second trial for the same charges. The first trial ended in November 2022 with a hung jury. But the judge ordered it was a mistrial and opted to re-try the case in front of a new set of jurors.

Per reports, the difference between the two trials related to the allegation of drugging. In the first trial, the prosecution did not outright say that Masterson had drugged the women. In the retrial, prosecutors were allowed to say Masterson drugged the women. The actor was not charged with any counts of drugging, and no toxicology evidence was present in the trial.

Scientology took centre stage during the Danny Masterson trials

The Church of Scientology was prominent throughout Danny Masterson’s trials. The actor was one of Scientology’s most prominent celebrity members and was a lifelong member of the church.

All three victims were Scientologists at the time of their assaults, although they have since left the church. It is alleged Masterson used his prominence in the Church of Scientology to avoid accountability and punishment for decades after the attacks.

Two of his accusers, former members themselves, claim the church discouraged them from contacting law enforcement for years. They testified when they reported Masterson to Scientology officials, they were told they were not raped. They claimed they were sent through ethics programmes, and were warned against going to police to report a member of such high standing.

Scientology officials have denied “the scandalous allegations that the Church harassed the accusers”. They claimed that these allegation have been “debunked” and portions of the trial testimony regarding the organisation were “uniformly false”.

“The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone – Scientologists or not – to law enforcement,” the statement said.

Speak to someone

If you have been affected by this story, you can contact RAINN. It’s also known as the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, National Sexual Hotline. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 1 (800) 656-4673.

You can also contact the Department of Defense Safe Helpline for Sexual Assault on 1 (877) 955-5247.

In the UK Call 0808 802 9999 for confidential emotional support. It is open 12pm-2.30pm, 7pm-9.30pm every day of the year. You can also contact Victim support on 08 08 16 89 111

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