US Justice
Trial against actor Danny Masterson ends inconclusively
US actor Danny Masterson at an event in Los Angeles. photo
© Annie I. Bang/Invision/AP/dpa
Three women will face abuse and rape against Masterson. But in the trial before a Californian court, the twelve jurors did not come to a verdict. Will the process be reopened?
The criminal case against US actor Danny Masterson (46, “The Wild Seventies”) for rape allegations has ended without result. According to consistent media reports, 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”), reported the “Los Angeles Times” and the “Hollywood Reporter”. The procedure could now be rolled out again in a further process.
Three women had accused the actor of abuse and rape. The alleged incidents are said to have happened in 2001 and 2003 at Masterson’s Hollywood home. He denied the allegations, saying all of the sexual acts were consensual. If found guilty, Masterson would have faced a severe sentence, possibly life imprisonment. The actor did not testify at the trial himself.
Masterson has been married to actress Bijou Phillips since 2011. The couple have a daughter. The actor became known with the comedy series “That 70 Years Show”, in which he played Steven Hyde from 1998 to 2006, who always wore sunglasses.