Key Points
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Danny Masterson’s appeal denied by a court after his 2023 conviction in rape case.
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The That ’70s Show actor is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence.
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Two women accused Masterson of raping them at his Hollywood home in 2003.
Three years after Danny Masterson was convicted of rape, his appeal has been denied by a court.
The That ’70s Show actor, who’s currently serving a 30-year prison sentence, had challenged a judge’s 2023 ruling, claiming among other things that there was a bias against his controversial religion, Scientology.
“We affirm the judgment,” ruled a panel of three judges from the Second Appellate District on Tuesday, according to court documents obtained and reviewed by Entertainment Weekly.
In response, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office tells EW: “We appreciate the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold Danny Masterson’s conviction, affirming the just outcome through the judicial process in 2023. Our office remains committed to seeking justice for victims and that those who commit crimes are held accountable under the law.”
Masterson’s attorney did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.
The actor contended there should be a 10-year statute of limitations on the rape charges against him, which date back to the early 2000s. “Forcible rape offenses committed against more than one person are not subject to any statutory limitations period,” declared the appeals court.
Masterson’s contention that eight years is the maximum punishment he could have received for each charge was also rejected. He was ultimately sentenced to consecutive terms of 15 years to life on each count of forcible rape, for a total prison term of 30 years to life.
In his appeal, the longtime Scientologist claimed the court exhibited a “hostility” towards his religion and by allowing the “admission of Scientology evidence for the truth of the matter violated state and federal law.”
In response, the appeals court ruled: “Admission of Scientology evidence did not violate the First Amendment and was not an abuse of the trial court’s discretion.”
Masterson was originally charged with three counts of rape in 2020. All three victims alleged they had met the actor through Scientology, and that he served them drinks laced with sedatives and raped them at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003.
The accusers claimed that church doctrine discouraged them from coming forward with criminal complaints for years.
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Masterson’s initial trial in 2022 ended in a jury deadlock. The subsequent 2023 trial convicted him of two of the three charges.
Masterson filed his appeal in November 2025, claiming he had been wrongly convicted due in part to the “unexpected and unreasonable failure” of his previous defense attorney.
“The unfairness of the second Masterson trial was the result of prosecutorial misconduct, judicial bias, and the failure of defense counsel to present exculpatory evidence,” claimed his new attorney, Eric S. Multhaup. “The jury heard only half the story — the prosecution’s side. Danny deserves a new trial where the jury can hear his side as well.”
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
