Actor Danny Masterson has been convicted on two criminal counts in his sexual assault retrial.
On Wednesday, Masterson was found guilty of two counts of forcible rape, per our sister site Variety. The jury was deadlocked on a third rape charge and did not reach a verdict.
Masterson, known for his work on That ’70s Show and The Ranch, was charged with three counts of rape by force or fear in June 2020, regarding separate incidents of sexual assault against three women that allegedly occurred at Masterson’s home between 2001 and 2003. Masterson pleaded not guilty to all three charges in 2021; in the wake of his conviction, the actor now faces a sentence of 30 years to life in prison.
RELATED STORIES
This was the second time Masterson was tried for sexual assault: A previous attempt to prosecute him ended in a mistrial last November, following more than a month of testimony and several days of jury deliberations. On Nov. 30, the jurors informed L.A. Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo that they were “deeply divided” and could not reach a verdict.
In 2017, Netflix fired Masterson from The Ranch after he was accused of raping four women in the early 2000s. During the show’s Part 5 finale, his character, Rooster Bennett, was threatened at gunpoint and forced to leave town; Rooster was later killed off in a freak motorcycle accident in Part 6.
“I am obviously very disappointed in Netflix’s decision to write my character off of The Ranch,” Masterson said in a statement at the time. “From Day 1, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. Law enforcement investigated these claims more than 15 years ago and determined them to be without merit… In this country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, in the current climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused. I understand and look forward to clearing my name once and for all.”
.jpg "Elsbeth – Episode 3.06 – Bunker Down")
