Table of Contents
Actor Danny Masterson has lost the appeal of his rape conviction, meaning his 30-year prison sentence has been upheld by a California appeals court.
Appeal Dismissed by Panel
Best known for his role on That ’70s Show, Masterson was convicted in 2023 of two counts of rape against two women that occurred in 2003. A third charge involving another plaintiff who alleged she was raped in 2001 was quashed during the legal proceedings.
Masterson maintained that his sexual encounters with all three plaintiffs were consensual. In December, he filed an appeal challenging the credibility of the plaintiffs and asserting he was denied a fair trial because Los Angeles superior court judge Charlaine F Olmedo harbored bias against Scientology.
In an 89-page ruling filed in the California court of appeal, a three-judge panel dismissed Masterson’s claims. The panel concluded that Judge Olmedo’s statements during the trial demonstrated no animosity or departure from neutrality regarding the church.
Role of Scientology During Trial
During the proceedings, prosecutors maintained that Masterson, a high-profile Scientologist, leveraged his standing within the church—where all three plaintiffs were also members at the time—to evade accountability for the assaults. Prosecutors also explained that the accusers delayed reporting the attacks due to fear of violating a church rule against contacting police and facing subsequent retaliation.
Two of the accusers testified that reporting Masterson to church officials resulted in being told they were not raped, undergoing interrogation-like ethics programs, and receiving warnings against involving law enforcement. One of the women stated she faced shunning and ostracization after coming forward.
Judge Olmedo permitted Claire Headley, a former Scientologist, to testify as an expert regarding church beliefs and practices. Headley stated to the court that Scientology views approaching law enforcement as a suppressive act punishable by excommunication.
Masterson’s attorneys argued in the appeal that the court improperly interfered with the interpretation of church doctrine. Addressing this, the appeals court panel wrote that the jury was not asked to determine the truth or falsity of Scientology doctrine or beliefs, and that the admission of Scientology evidence for those purposes did not violate the First Amendment.
The panel additionally dismissed separate arguments concerning the statute of limitations and evidentiary rulings, while also rejecting the claim that Masterson received an inadequate defense.
Future Legal Steps and Church Response
Masterson’s defense attorneys, Cliff Gardner and Eric Multhaup, described the ruling as an unfortunate decision and informed Variety that they intend to appeal the case to the California supreme court.
Following the guilty verdict in 2023, the Church of Scientology released a statement asserting that the testimony and descriptions of Scientology beliefs presented throughout the trial were uniformly false. The statement maintained that the church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct by anyone to law enforcement.
