Danny Masterson, best known for playing Steven Hyde on That '70s Show, was sentenced to 30 years to life for raping two women after being found guilty earlier this year.
According to the Associated Press, “Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo handed down the sentence to the 47-year-old Masterson after hearing statements from the women about the trauma they experienced and the suffering caused by the disturbing memories in the years since.”
Danny Masterson Waived the Right to Speak Before Sentencing
In custody since May, Masterson sat dressed in a suit and listened as the two women he raped addressed the court. “When you raped me, you stole from me,” said one woman whom Masterson raped in 2003. “That’s what rape is: a theft of the spirit. You are pathetic, disturbed, and completely violent. The world is better off with you in prison.”
The other woman whom Masterson was found guilty of raping said that the actor “has not shown an ounce of remorse for the pain he caused. I knew he belonged behind bars for the safety of all the women he came into contact with. I am so sorry, and I’m so upset. I wish I’d reported him sooner to the police.”
Masterson waived his right to speak before sentencing and showed no emotion as Judge Olmedo said:
“Mr. Masterson, I know that you’re sitting here steadfast in your claims of innocence, and thus no doubt feeling victimized by a justice system that has failed you. But Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice, and choice. One way or another you will have to come to terms with your prior actions, and their consequences.”
Masterson starred alongside Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon, and Wilmer Valderrama on That '70s Show from 1998-2006. Masterson was a series regular on The Ranch from 2016-2018 and appeared in movies such as Smiley Face, Yes Man, and Brooklyn Heights. The Church of Scientology member married actress Bijou Phillips in 2011 after dating her since 2004. The couple has one daughter, born in February 2014.
As the judge read the sentence, a tearful Phillips sat alongside other Masterson family members in the courtroom.
According to the Associated Press, “The judge sentenced the actor after rejecting a defense motion for a new trial that was argued earlier Thursday. The sentence was the maximum allowed by law. It means Masterson will be eligible for parole after serving 25 1/2 years but can be held in prison for life.”