Jury fails to reach a verdict in Danny Masterson rape case
A Los Angeles jury has failed to reach a conclusive verdict in the rape case against the American actor Danny Masterson. Masterson is best known for portraying Steven Hyde in the sitcom That ’70s Show and has been accused of raping three women at his Hollywood home in the early 2000s.
However, the actor has vehemently denied the charges and claimed he was singled out because he is a member of the Church of Scientology. Now that an inconclusive verdict has come through, the Los Angeles Country District Attorney said they are figuring out where to take the case next.
Masterson did not respond to the news, nor did his lawyers. Presently, a retrial has been pencilled in for March of next year. There had been initial deliberations in the trial earlier last month, which came to an unresolvable deadlock.
The attorney’s office made a statement on the result and said, “While we are disappointed with the outcome in this trial, we thank the jurors for their service. We also want to give our heartfelt appreciation to the victims for bravely stepping forward and recounting their harrowing experiences.”
All three women that accused Masterson of rape in the early 2000s were in their early 20s between 2001 and 2003. The accusations had been made in 2017 during the height of the MeToo movement in which several high-profile Hollywood stars were called out for their previous illicit actions and behaviour. Masterson could face 45 years to life in prison if convicted.
Two of the women mentioned above, like Masterson, belong to the Church of Scientology and stated that the Church had attempted to persuade them not to go forward with the charges against Masterson. However, the Church has strongly denied that it would ever pressure victims into abandoning their convictions.
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