Danny Masterson was sentenced on Thursday to 30 years in prison for raping two women at his Los Angeles home in the early 2000s.
Masterson, 47, chose not to speak during the hearing and he didn’t testify in either trial.
Judge Charlaine Olmedo announced her decision following emotional statements from his victims and “verbally dismantled Masterson’s defense,” according to legal journalist Meghann Cuniff.
The actor’s attorney said they are “very disappointed in the sentence” and will appeal.
“Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s choice and voice. Your actions 20 years ago today were criminal, and that’s why you are here,” Olmedo said in court.
Olmedo reportedly acknowledged how Masterson is probably wondering “how you can be convicted of each charge of sexual incident occurring 20 years ago” involving “a woman who you believe is disgruntled and has a vendetta against you.”
“You were not convicted on the testimony of one person,” the judge continued, according to Cuniff.
“You were not convicted based on rumors, innuendo, gossip and speculation,” Olmedo added.
“You were convicted based on evidence that 12 people in the community found to be credible. … You were convicted because each of the victims reported the rapes to someone shortly after the rapes occurred.”
Masterson faces 30 years to life in prison.
The judge denied the defense’s request that Masterson’s sentence be served concurrent instead of consecutive, meaning he’d be given a prison term of only 15 years.
Masterson’s wife, actress Bijou Phillips, who is a well-known Scientologist, reportedly cried in court at the beginning of the hearing.
Two of Masterson’s victims gave emotional victim impact statements in court before Olmedo handed down the sentence.
“You relish in hurting women. It is your addiction. It is without question your favorite thing to do,” said one of the women, identified only as N. Trout, reported Cuniff. (Per court procedure, the accusers’ names were withheld from the proceedings.)
“Life is precious and fragile. Find your heart,” Trout continued. “Listen to the brightness of nothing and get well. I forgive you.”
Best known for playing Steven Hyde on That ’70s Show, the actor was charged with forcibly raping three women N. Trout, Jennifer B. and Chrissy B from 2001 to 2003.
After a mistrial in 2022, prosecutors went back to court earlier this year, where on May 31, a second jury found Masterson guilty of sexually assaulting Jen B. and N. Trout.
The panel was deadlocked, however, on the third count involving Chrissy B, the actor’s longtime girlfriend.
Prosecutors read a written statement from Chrissy while Jennifer spoke in court. Jennifer said the LAPD’s years-long investigation into Masterson “wasn’t easy” and called out the Church of Scientology for alleged interference.
“It’s been filled with attempts to silence us all, to intimidate us and even obstruct,” she said, according to Cuniff. Jennifer noted how Masterson must face consequences as he’s in a “real court,” not Scientology’s infamous Celebrity Centre in Hollywood, Calif.
