The criminal case against US actor Danny Masterson (46, “The Wild Seventies” in the original: “That ’70s Show”) for rape allegations has ended without result. According to consistent media reports on Wednesday, the twelve jurors in Los Angeles could not agree on a verdict despite days of deliberation. The judge then found a so-called mistrial (“Mistrial”), the reported Los Angeles Times and Hollywood reporters. The procedure could now be rolled out again in a further process.
Masterson pleaded not guilty
Three women had accused the actor of abuse and rape, including a former girlfriend of Masterson. The alleged incidents are said to have occurred in 2001 and 2003 at his home in the Hollywood Hills. He pleaded not guilty, and his attorney said the acts were all consensual. All three women were members of the Church of Scientology at the time, Masterson is still a member. If found guilty, Masterson would have faced a severe sentence, possibly life imprisonment. The actor did not testify at the trial himself.
Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo declared the Los Angeles Superior Court trial a failure after the jury said they were “hopelessly deadlocked.” The judge previously ordered the jury to take Thanksgiving week off and then resume deliberations after telling her on Nov. 18 that they had been unable to reach a consensus on the rape allegations after a month-long trial.
Danny Masterson leaves Los Angeles Superior Court with his wife Bijou Phillips.
(Photo: Brian Melley/AP)
Masterson has been married to actress Bijou Phillips since 2011. The couple have a daughter. The actor rose to fame with the comedy series That ’70s Show, in which he played the mostly sunglasses-wearing Steven Hyde from 1998 to 2006.
The trial came amid a spate of #MeToo-related cases, including Harvey Weinstein’s trial in Los Angeles. In New York, Kevin Spacey recently won a sexual misconduct lawsuit brought by actor Anthony Rapp, and a jury recently sentenced director and screenwriter Paul Haggis to pay several million dollars in a civil lawsuit.