Danny Masterson, star of Fox’s That ’70s Show and Netflix’s The Ranch, has been accused of rape by four women. According to The Huffington Post, the events regarding Masterson and the women occurred in the early 2000s, but have not brought to the light until recently. Danny Masterson is among many other males stars in Hollywood, such as Dustin Hoffman and Kevin Spacey, who have sexual assault allegations against them currently. The Huffington Post also reported, “One of Masterson’s accusers initially filed an LAPD report in 2004 saying that she was raped in 2003 while she was ‘passed out’ and that, when she awoke and realized Masterson was raping her, she struggled with him until he choked her and she passed out again.”
Masterson is part of the Church of Scientology, which has previously covered up allegations against people in their organizations accused of sexual assault. Three of the women who have accused Masterson of rape had reported it to the Church of Scientology between 2001-2004, and one of the files was reported missing and had to be reconstructed by lawyers.
Leah Remini, star of The King of Queens and anti-Scientology activist, has reportedly interviewed the alleged rape victims for her A&E documentary series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. The LA District Attorney’s office had asked Remini not to air the episode because, at the time, the DA was still deciding whether to charge Masterson. As of now, there is no known release date for the episode with the interviews.
Photo from A&E Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath Promotion
Tony Ortega wrote a report back in March 2017 including the reports of the alleged rape victims, testimonies from alleged witnesses, and the actions of the Church of Scientology regarding this case. That same month, Masterson’s reps said that all the reports were false.
Despite all the evidence and the allegations, Netflix has no plans to suspend The Ranch. Masterson currently stars and produces the show alongside Ashton Kutcher. Recently, allegations against Kevin Spacey have been met with Netflix no longer working with him after the airing of the already filmed season of House of Cards. Netflix’s The Ranch is currently filming its fifth part of the series, and no new statements regarding the case have been made. If the investigation against Danny Masterson continues, Netflix will have to make a statement or a decision regarding the actor.
Photo from Netflix promotion for The Ranch
