Danny Masterson Gets Sentence of 30 Years to Life in Prison for Raping 2 Women

Danny Masterson, who was convicted of raping two women in May, has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for his crimes, PEOPLE confirms.

Before Masterson was sentenced, two women he was convicted of raping gave victim impact statements.

“When you raped me, you stole from me,” Masterson’s victim said in 2003, the Associated Press reported. “That’s what rape is, stealing the spirit.”

“You’re miserable, deranged and completely violent,” she said. “The world is better off with you in prison.”

Another victim told the court that she “knew he belonged behind bars for the safety of all the women he came in contact with,” according to the AP.

“I’m so sorry and so upset. I wish I had reported him to the police sooner,” she said.

According to Diversitymembers of Masterson’s family, including his wife, Bijou Phillips, were in the courtroom during the sentencing.

Bijou Phillips ‘shocked’ by husband Danny Masterson’s rape conviction, but doesn’t want to leave him: Source

Lalo Yasky/Getty

Diversity reported that Judge Charlaine Olmedo addressed Masterson, saying, “Mr. Masterson, you are not a victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice and choice. Your actions 20 years ago were criminal and that is why you are here.”

In 2020, Masterson was accused of forcibly raping three women in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003. He pleaded not guilty to all three counts in January 2021.

Danny Masterson’s rape trial declared overturned after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict

Danny Masterson.

LUCY NICHOLSON/POOL/AFP via Getty

All of the crimes took place at Masterson’s home, prosecutors said, and all three defendants took the stand to detail their allegations in a May 2021 preliminary hearing.

Masterson was originally set to stand trial on the charges in late 2022, but the trial was mistrialed after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Ten of the 12 jurors wanted to find Masterson not guilty based on the evidence presented.

Danny Masterson reports to a Los Angeles court to begin his sexual assault trial

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Many of the allegations against Masterson first surfaced in March 2017 when the LAPD’s Homicide Robbery Division confirmed that an investigation into sexual assault allegations against the actor was underway. In November 2017, HuffPost reported that a fourth woman had accused Masterson of raping her in the early 2000s.

After the allegations came to light, Masterson was removed from the Netflix series Ranch — which appeared in with the former That 70s show actor Ashton Kutcher. Agency United Talent also terminated cooperation with the actor.

Masterson’s defense attorney, Shawn Holley, said in a statement to PEOPLE after the verdict that he will appeal.

“For the past several months, a team of the nation’s top appellate lawyers has been reviewing the trial transcripts. They have identified a number of significant evidentiary and constitutional issues that will be briefly addressed by state and federal appeals courts,” the statement said.

“The errors that occurred in this case are significant and, unfortunately, led to verdicts that were not supported by the evidence,” Holley’s statement continued. “And while we have great respect for the jury in this case and for our justice system in general, sometimes they get it wrong. And that’s what happened here. Mr. Masterson didn’t commit the crimes he was convicted of and we — and the appellate lawyers — the best and brightest in the country — they are convinced that these convictions will be overturned.”

In a statement to PEOPLE after the verdict, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said, “This has been a long and difficult journey for Mr. Masterson’s victims. Not only did they survive his abuse, but they also survived a system that is often unfair to victims. I applaud their courage in coming forward and taking part in this process. I hope that this sentence will bring them peace and that their courage will be an example to others. I also want to thank the entire court team. This was a very difficult case, but thanks to their hard work, experience and dedication, justice has finally been served today. One of my top priorities is to ensure that Los Angeles is no longer a hunting ground for the Hollywood elite who feel entitled to prey on women.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

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