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‘That ’70s Show’ Star Loses Rape Conviction Appeal

The actor was found guilty in 2023 of raping two women.

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Actor Danny Masterson has lost his appeal against his rape conviction. The star of That ‘70s Show was convicted in 2023 of two counts of rape against two women in 2003 and was sentenced to 30 years in jail. Masterson filed an appeal in December, in which he claimed he did not receive a fair trial, as Los Angeles Superior Court judge Charlaine F. Olmedo was biased against his religion of Scientology. In an 89-page ruling filed in the California Court of Appeal on Tuesday, a three-judge panel rejected Masterson’s arguments, finding that Olmedo’s statements during the trial showed “no animus or departure from neutrality regarding Scientology”. Masterson claimed the judge had demonstrated bias by “comparing Scientology to white supremacists, gangs, and Satanists,” according to his appeal filings. The panel noted in the appeal that the actor himself had asked the court, ahead of his trial, to limit references to Scientology given the poor reputation of the organization in the general public. Masterson’s lawyers, Cliff Gardner and Eric Multhaup, called it an “unfortunate decision,” telling Variety they would appeal to the California Supreme Court.

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