In 2017, iconic actor Danny Masterson was accused of rape by several different women. However, his arrest for these alleged crimes happened three years later in 2020. Most famous for his role in That 70s Show, Masterson was a member of the Netflix comedy show The Ranch at the time of the accusations. He was subsequently removed from the cast. In the past few years, he has had to deal with the repercussions of these accusations, and has had the help of Scientology, the church he has belonged to for a majority of his celebrity life. For the trials and court appearances he has had to participate in, Scientology’s higher-ups have supported him every step of the way.
In the first trial Masterson was a defendant for, three Jane Does hoped to have him prosecuted for raping them. The trial, which ended in Nov. 2022, concluded with a deadlocked jury and no verdict. A new retrial was scheduled for March 29, where a new jury will decide his fate. This retrial will likely see the same women who testified in the first trial return. However, throughout all this time and the first trial, Masterson has said that all of his sexual encounters with his accusers, even an ex-girlfriend, have been consensual.
Danny Masterson’s Retrial Date
On Wednesday (Feb. 15), LA Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo moved the Masterson retrial to April 11. He did so to accommodate potential witnesses. The first day of trial will see jury selection for the case. On Thursday (Feb. 16), Masterson’s pre-trial hearing took place at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in LA. Although Danny Masterson was not present, a few other celebrities were in the building. The hearing occurred simultaneously with a pre-sentencing hearing in Harvey Weinstein’s rape case down the hall, as well as Eric Weinberg’s preliminary hearing for his multiple sex crimes case.
In regards to Masterson’s retrial, sources revealed to Deadline that television cameras could be present in the courtroom. This was not the case in Masterson’s first trial. It is currently unclear how the defense and witnesses feel about this possibility, but sources said the prosecution is in favor of the idea. The group of women who first testified against Masterson in the first trial was all former Scientologists. So, there will likely be a good amount of hostility in the retrial, considering Scientology and its ethics were a big talking point the first time around.
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