
Former That 70s Show cast member Danny Masterson has been found guilty by a jury of raping two women, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The crimes reportedly took place at his Hollywood Hills home back in the early 2000s. The jury was not able to reach a verdict on a charge of him raping a third woman.
This is the second time prosecutors put the actor and known Scientologist on trial. Prosecutors said Scientology officials protected Masterson for years after he drugged and sexually assaulted the women. The women, who were also Scientologists, say the church forbade them to make reports about the rapes to the police.
The victims were identified in court as Chrissy B., Jen B. and N. Trout.
After over two decades of using his power within Scientology to rape and silence women, Danny Masterson is facing justice.
I haven’t been this relieved and happy in years…literally. https://t.co/5wIUNbHYEH
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 31, 2023
The original trial ended with a deadlocked jury on all counts in November of last year. Masterson pleaded not guilty to the charges and never testified in his defense.
“The defendant drugs his victims to gain control. He does this to take away his victims’ ability to consent,” Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson told the jury in her closing argument on May 16. “You don’t want to have sex? You don’t have a choice. The defendant makes that choice for these victims. And he does it over and over and over again.”
All of the women said they feared they would be banned from the church and labeled “suppressive persons” if they came forward with their allegations.
From the LA Times:
Chrissy B. said she endured a tumultuous and abusive relationship with Masterson where he repeatedly spit on her, called her “white trash” and initiated sex with her while she was asleep. She alleged that in November 2021, she awoke to Masterson forcing himself on her. When she said no, he struck her, pinned her down and raped her, she testified.
She also alleged that she lost consciousness after Masterson served her a drink at La Poubelle restaurant in Franklin Village in 2001, waking up the next morning in serious pain at the actor’s Hollywood Hills home. Masterson told her they had sex, to her horror, according to a letter she wrote to a Scientology official that was presented at trial.
Jen B. described becoming weak and woozy after having a drink with Masterson, who she said brought her to his home and violently raped her, wielding a gun and suffocating her with a pillow. N. Trout described a similar experience, saying that Masterson isolated her at his house once she grew weak. She alleged he groped her and digitally penetrated her in a shower before raping her so violently that she vomited.
Read the full report over at the Los Angeles Times.
According to ABC7 reporter Lisa Bartley, Masterson’s girlfriend, actress Bijou Phillips “cried out” as the guilty verdicts were read.
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