Danny Masterson’s trial support letters from Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis revealed
Victims condemn Church of Scientology and ‘coward’ former sitcom star as judge dismantles defence case
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Danny Masterson received letters of support from Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher ahead of his sentencing, it has been revealed.
Masterson, 47, was given a sentence of 30 years to life in a Los Angeles court on Thursday for the rapes of two women two decades ago.
It has since emerged that his That 70’s Show co-stars Kunis and Kutcher were among 50 people who wrote letters of support before the sentencing.
In their letters, published by Los Angeles-based court reporter Meghann Cuniff, the couple vouched for Masterson’s “exceptional character” and pleaded for Judge Charlaine Olmedo’s leniency.
A jury found Masterson guilty of two counts in May after seven days of deliberations. Both attacks took place in Masterson’s Hollywood Hills home in 2003, when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox network sitcom.
The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend.
Prosecutors alleged that Masterson used his prominence in the Church of Scientology — where all three women were also members at the time — to avoid consequences for decades after the attacks.
Judge ‘verbally dismantled’ Masterson’s defence
Legal affairs reporter Meghann Cuniff reported from the court in Los Angeles that Judge Charlaine Olmedo “verbally dismantled” Masterson’s defence.
“Mr Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s choice and voice. Your actions 20 years ago today were criminal, and that’s why you are here,” Judge Olmedo told the actor
Per Cuniff:
Olmedo told Masterson she knows he’s wondering “how you can be convicted of each charge of sexual incident occurring 20 years ago” involving “a woman who you believe is disgruntled and has a vendetta against you.”
But, Olmedo said, “you were not convicted on the testimony of one person.”
“You were not convicted based on rumors, innuendo, gossip and speculation,” Olmedo said. “You were convicted based on evidence that 12 people in the community found to be credible. … You were convicted because each of the victims reported the rapes to someone shortly after the rapes occurred.”
Judge Olmedo also noted that Masterson had paid one of his victims nearly $1m to sign a non-disclosure agreement, describing it as “an awful lot to pay” for an incident he claimed never happened.
Does ‘That 70s Show’ sitcom spinoff address absence of Masterson character?
Masterson played one of the main characters in the show from 1998 to 2006 and while his cast mates have returned as their characters for spin-off The 90s Show, he has not.
Does That ’90s Show explain Danny Masterson’s absence following his rape trial?
‘That ’70s Show’ star appeared in court last year charged with allegedly raping three women in the early 2000s
Masterson’s sentencing followed a retrial, here’s how the case evolved
What led to Danny Masterson’s rape retrial and what happens next
A Los Angeles jury has found “That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson guilty of two counts of rape and failed to reach a verdict on a third woman's sexual abuse allegations
How did Masterson’s lawyer challenge allegations?
Masterson’s attorney challenged his former longterm girlfriend during her testimony at the trial as to why new details had emerged in her account of when she claimed the actor raped her in 2001.
Read more...
Danny Masterson lawyer challenges new details in rape story
An attorney for Danny Masterson challenged his former girlfriend on why her trial testimony alleging the actor raped her in 2001 included new details that were missing from the accounts she first gave authorities
Full story: ‘That ’70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for rapes
That ’70s Show star Danny Masterson has been sentenced to life in prison for the rapes of two women two decades ago.
He will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years.
The sentence was handed down on Thursday (7 September) by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F Olmedo, after she had rejected a defence motion for a new trial.
Inga Parkel reports for The Independent.
Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for rapes
Sitcom actor was found guilty for the rapes of two women two decades ago
Have Masterson’s former co-stars spoken about the case?
Actor Ashton Kutcher, who starred alongside Masterston on That 70s Show and The Ranch, commented on the case back in January.
Ashton Kutcher hopes Danny Masterson will be ‘found innocent’ in rape retrial
Masterson will be retried in March after his original case ended in mistrial
Who is Masterson’s wife Bijou Phillips?
Reports indicate Masterson’s wife, Bijou Phillips, was visibly upset in court when her husband of 12 years was convicted on 31 May following seven days of jury deliberation and a mistrial in 2022. The 43-year-old model clung to Masterson’s side for the duration of his trial, showing no signs she plans to leave or divorce him as of now.
Her husband’s trial joins a long list of scandals Bijou has encountered throughout her life. For those who aren’t familiar, here’s a little background on the sitcom star’s wife.
Danny Masterson’s wife breaks down at rape sentencing: Who is Bijou Phillips?
Bijou, daughter of The Mamas & The Papas lead musician John Phillips, and his third wife Geneviève Waïte, met Masterson in 2004 and tied the knot with ‘That 70s Show’ lead in 2011
Masterson’s ex says rape came years into relationship
A former girlfriend of actor Danny Masterson testified during the trial that he had grown increasingly abusive and controlling during their five-year relationship when he raped her in their bed in November of 2001.
The woman, a model who had begun dating Masterson in 1996, shortly before he gained fame as a star of the sitcom That ‘70s Show, said there had been previous instances when she woke in the night to find Masterson on top of her, and had accepted sex with him to avoid angering him.
On this night, however, she said clearly she did not consent, and resisted.
“I told him ‘no, I don’t want to have sex.’ He didn’t listen to me,” said the woman, the first to take the stand in the Los Angeles courtroom at Masterson’s retrial on three counts of rape.
She spoke more quickly and grew more emotional as the story continued. “So I continued pleading with him, like, ‘please get off of me, no.’ And he was continuing. And it was painful. And I remember trying to push his chest up off of me. I couldn’t get him off of me.”
She said Masterson pinned her arms above her head to keep her down. As she struggled, she recalled Masterson’s clearly established “rules” that no one touch his hair or his face, which she had previously heeded.
“If I did this, I knew it wouldn’t be good. But I believed it would maybe make him stop.”
She said she managed to free one arm and yanked his hair at the back of his head. She said he then hit her in the jaw with a partially closed fist, spat on her, and stormed off.
Ultimately, the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on this count.
Masterson unmoved by sentencing victim statements
Actor Danny Masterson remained unmoved as his two rape victims gave powerful impact statements to a judge before the That ‘70s Show star was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the attacks.
“When you raped me, you stole from me,” said one woman who Masterson, 47, was convicted of raping in 2003. “That’s what rape is, a theft of the spirit.”
“You are pathetic, disturbed and completely violent,” she added. “The world is better off with you in prison.”
The other victim told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo that the actor “has not shown an ounce of remorse for the pain he caused.”
Graeme Massie reports from Los Angeles.
Danny Masterson unmoved by powerful victim statements at sentencing
Actor jailed for 30 years by Los Angeles judge for the rape of two women at his home in 2003
Did Scientology play a role in the aftermath of rapes?
Prosecutors alleged that Masterson used his prominence in the Church of Scientology — where all three women were also members at the time — to avoid consequences for decades after the attacks.
The women blamed the church for their hesitancy in going to the police about Masterson. They testified that when they reported him to Scientology officials, they were told they were not raped, were put through ethics programs themselves, and were warned against going to law enforcement to report a member of such high standing.
“They were raped, they were punished for it, and they were retaliated against,” Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller told jurors at the trial. “Scientology told them there’s no justice for them.”
The church said in a statement after the verdict that the “testimony and descriptions of Scientology beliefs” during the trial were “uniformly false.”
“The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone — Scientologists or not — to law enforcement,” the statement said.