A jury found “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson guilty of two out of three counts of rape Wednesday in a Los Angeles retrial in which the Church of Scientology played a central role.
“I am experiencing a complex array of emotions – relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness – knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will face accountability for his criminal behavior,” one of the women, whom Masterson was convicted of raping at his home in 2003, said in a statement. “If you decide that a witness deliberately lied about something in this case,” defense attorney Philip Cohen told jurors, going through their instructions in his closing argument, “You should consider not believing anything that witness says.”
Founded in 1953 by L. Ron Hubbard, the Church of Scientology has many members who work in Hollywood. The judge kept limits on how much prosecutors could talk about the church, and primarily allowed it to explain why the women took so long to go to authorities. Two women, who knew Masterson from social circles in the church, said he gave them drinks and that they then became woozy or passed out before he violently raped them in 2003.
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Actor Danny Masterson found guilty of 2 out of 3 counts of rape in retrialJurors have found “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson guilty of two out of three counts of rape. The jury reached the verdict Wednesday in a Los Angeles court. It was the second trial for the 47-year-old actor, after a jury deadlocked in his first. Masterson has been charged with raping three women at his home between 2001 and 2003. Prosecutors have argued that he drugged the women so he could assault them, then used his prominence in the Church of Scientology to avoid consequences for decades. Defense attorneys have argued that Masterson had consensual sex with the women, and have attempted to discredit their stories.
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Actor Danny Masterson found guilty of 2 counts of rape in retrialA jury found “That ‘70s Show” star Danny Masterson guilty of two counts of rape Wednesday in a Los Angeles retrial in which the Church of Scientology played a central role.
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Jury finds actor Danny Masterson guilty of 2 out of 3 counts of rape in retrialThe jury found 'That '70s Show' star Danny Masterson guilty of two out of three counts of rape. They could not reach a verdict on the third count. The 47-year-old actor faces up to 30 years in prison.
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Danny Masterson found guilty of two counts of rape in Los Angeles retrialJurors in a Los Angeles courtroom found 'That '70s Show' actor Danny Masterson guilty of two counts of rape on Wednesday and deadlocked on a third count.
Source: ABC7 - 🏆 67. / 68 Read more »
‘That ’70s Show’ star Danny Masterson found guilty of 2 counts of rape in retrialA jury found ‘That ‘70s Show’ star Danny Masterson guilty of two counts of rape in a retrial where Scientology played a key role.
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