A California appeals court has closed a major legal door for former television star Danny Masterson, upholding both his rape convictions and the lengthy prison sentence that followed. For the two women he was found guilty of assaulting, the ruling marks another step toward finality in a case that has stretched across more than two decades.
On Tuesday, a three-judge appellate panel issued a unanimous decision in an 89-page ruling rejecting every major argument Masterson’s legal team had raised in hopes of overturning his conviction. The panel found that the lower court had not made errors significant enough to justify a new trial, and it dismissed a separate claim that Masterson received ineffective assistance from his counsel.
Masterson, best known for his role on That ’70s Show, was convicted of raping two women at his home in 2003. His first trial had ended with a deadlocked jury in 2022, but prosecutors brought the case back to court. At the retrial in 2023, jurors found him guilty on two counts of forcible rape. He received a sentence of 30 years to life in prison and will not be eligible for parole for more than 20 years.
Masterson’s attorneys pushed back on several legal fronts. They argued that the charges violated California’s 10-year statute of limitations for forcible rape — a claim the court rejected because the law does not apply when multiple victims are involved. The defense also contended that the trial court had improperly excluded evidence favorable to Masterson and had displayed bias against his religion. The appellate panel found none of these arguments persuasive.
Following Tuesday’s decision, Masterson’s attorneys issued a statement saying they would seek review at the California Supreme Court, signaling the legal fight is not yet over.
The Role of Scientology
Religion played a notable and contested role throughout the proceedings. Masterson is a prominent member of the Church of Scientology, and both of his accusers are former members of the church. The women said that after the assaults, they grew disillusioned with the institution. They have stated that church officials told them what had happened to them was not rape and that church policies discouraged them from contacting law enforcement. The Church of Scientology has vehemently denied having any such policy.
Masterson, now 50, has been serving his sentence at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo.
From Television Fame to Prison
During his acting career, Masterson starred alongside Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Topher Grace on the long-running Fox sitcom That ’70s Show, which aired from 1998 to 2006. He later reunited with Kutcher on the Netflix comedy The Ranch, which launched in 2016. However, when rape allegations against him became public, he was written off the show.
This case is among several high-profile criminal proceedings in recent years involving well-known figures and serious allegations of sexual violence. In a separate case, three Alexander brothers each received 30-year prison sentences for sex trafficking after women came forward to describe being raped. Across these cases, survivors and legal advocates say victim testimony remains the cornerstone of accountability.