Masterson loses appeal, confirms 30-year prison term

A California appeals court affirmed the rape convictions of actor Danny Masterson on Tuesday, locking in a sentence of 30 years to life in prison for two crimes committed in 2003.

The three-judge panel issued an 89-page unanimous decision finding that the lower court did not commit errors that would require a new trial. The court also denied Masterson’s claim that his legal team provided ineffective assistance. The panel dismissed arguments that the convictions violated the 10-year statute of limitations for forcible rape because multiple victims were involved. The judges further rejected claims that the trial court excluded favorable evidence or showed bias against Masterson’s religion.

Masterson’s first trial in 2022 ended with a deadlocked jury. At the retrial in 2023, a jury found him guilty of raping two women at his home. His attorneys stated in an emailed release on Tuesday that they intend to ask the California Supreme Court to review the case.

The case drew attention to Masterson’s role within the Church of Scientology. The two accusers, both former members, told investigators that church officials instructed them that the acts did not constitute rape. They said internal policies prevented them from contacting police. The church has strongly denied the existence of such a policy.

Masterson, 50, is currently incarcerated at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo. Court records indicate he will not be eligible for parole for more than 20 years. He appeared in the television series “That ’70s Show” from 1998 to 2006 and later joined the Netflix series “The Ranch” in 2016, a role he lost following the initial allegations.

The ruling ends the appellate phase of the proceedings in Los Angeles, leaving the original 2023 verdict intact as Masterson continues to serve his term.