Danny Masterson has lost his bid to overturn his rape convictions, leaving the former That ’70s Show actor facing the same 30-year-to-life prison sentence handed down in 2023.
A three-judge appeals court panel upheld the convictions in an 89-page ruling, rejecting multiple arguments from Masterson’s legal team, including allegations that the trial judge was biased against Scientology.
Masterson, 50, was convicted of raping two women at his Hollywood Hills home in 2003. Jurors could not reach a verdict on a third charge involving a former girlfriend who accused him of rape in 2001.
His attorneys argued that Judge Charlaine Olmedo unfairly allowed testimony about Scientology’s beliefs and practices, violating his constitutional rights but the judges found “no animus or departure from neutrality regarding Scientology” in Olmedo’s handling of the case.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that the women, all former Scientologists, feared consequences from the church if they reported their allegations to police. The appeals court determined that testimony about those concerns was legally permissible.
Materson’s lawyers Cliff Gardner and Eric Multhaup announced plans to take the case to the California Supreme Court while pursuing additional legal challenges.
“Danny is serving a life sentence for crimes he did not commit,” Gardner said in a statement.
The attorney also slammed the ruling, calling it an “unfortunate decision.”
