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Former 'That 70s Show' Star Danny Masterson Charged With Raping Three Women, Los Angeles DA Says
Danny Masterson will be arraigned in September on rape charges dating back to 2001 and could face 45 years in prison if convicted.
Actor Danny Masterson has been charged with raping three women between 2001 and 2003, Los Angeles' top prosecutor announced.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a Wednesday statement that Masterson faces three counts of rape by force or fear and is set to be arraigned on Sept. 18.
The former “That 70s Show” star is accused of raping a 23-year-old woman in 2001, a 28-year-old woman in April 2003, and another 23-year-old woman sometime between October and December 2003, Variety reported. All of the alleged crimes occurred at Masterson's home, the District Attorney's Office said in the release.
Authorities also noted they declined to charge Masterson in two other cases — one for insufficient evidence and the other due to a statute of limitations.
The actor has been under official investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct since 2016, according to Variety. In August of last year, four women filed suit against Masterson and the Church of Scientology — alleging the church and Masterson stalked and harassed them after they accused the actor of assault.
The Church of Scientology, of which Masterson is a member, argued to a court in January that the dispute should be subject to internal religious arbitration.
Masterson has vehemently and repeatedly denied the allegations, according to Variety.
“I will beat her in court — and look forward to it because the public will finally be able [to] learn the truth and see how I’ve been railroaded by this woman. And once her lawsuit is thrown out, I intend to sue her and the others who jumped on the bandwagon for the damage they caused me and my family," Masterson previously said of one accuser.
Masterson was fired from the Netflix series “The Ranch” in 2017 after authorities confirmed multiple women had filed reports accusing the actor of sexual assault, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
If convicted as charged, Masterson faces a potential maximum sentence of 45 years to life in state prison.
