That '70s Show actor Danny Masterson loses appeal against rape convictions as California court rejects his Scientology bias claim
Danny Masterson, convicted in 2023 of raping two women at his Hollywood Hills home, had his 30-year-to-life sentence upheld after judges found no bias against Scientology at his trial.
A California appeals court has upheld Danny Masterson's 30-year-to-life prison sentence, rejecting every argument his lawyers put forward in an 89-page ruling issued on Tuesday. The three-judge panel found the trial judge showed "no animus or departure from neutrality" toward Scientology. Masterson, 50, was convicted in 2023 of raping two women at his Hollywood Hills home in 2003.
Prosecutors argued Masterson used his senior standing in Scientology to silence victims, who feared church punishment for going to police.
His lawyer Cliff Gardner declared: 'Danny is serving a life sentence for crimes he did not commit' and says he will appeal to the California Supreme Court.
Masterson's team also plans to file a separate habeas petition alleging that his original defence lawyer failed to call key witnesses whose testimony could have undermined the credibility of his accusers.
