Danny Masterson Trial Continues With Horrifying Accusations
During closing arguments for Danny Masterson's retrial, three alleged victims recounted how they were drugged and raped by Masterson in harrowing detail.
Nearly six years have passed since Danny Masterson was accused of sexual assault by three women. The first case ended in a mistrial after the 12-person jury could not reach a verdict. During recent closing arguments of his retrial, attorneys for the plaintiffs said the actor drugged women’s drinks so he could rape them before relying on his prominence in the Church of Scientology to avoid the consequences.
The alleged incidents are said to have occurred at his Hollywood Hills residence between 2001 and 2003, during the peak of his career as Steven Hyde on That ’70s Show. His accusers, identified in court as Chrissy B, Jen B, and N. Trout, provided harrowing testimonies, recounting their experiences of feeling lightheaded and disoriented after being served drinks by Danny Masterson.
The accusers assert that Danny Masterson allegedly groped and raped them while in a state of semi-consciousness. They vividly described the distressing episodes of drifting in and out of consciousness while enduring these traumatic acts. Chrissy B testified to repeated abuse, saying The Ranch star would often assault her in her sleep.
The other plaintiffs alleged they were assaulted at Danny Masterson’s residence after drinking with him. Jen B. accused him of holding a gun and suffocating her with a pillow during the attack. Trout alleged he assaulted her so forcefully she threw up in her mouth, Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson said via Deadline.
“The defendant drugs his victims to gain control. He does this to take away his victims’ ability to consent,” Anson told the jury. “You don’t want to have sex? You don’t have a choice. The defendant makes that choice for these victims. And he does it over and over and over again.” She also blamed the controversial Church of Scientology throughout her argument.
Danny Masterson and his accusers were all members during the alleged assaults. Anson emphasized that Church of Scientology authorities prevented the women from reporting the assault to the police for years. “The church taught his victims’ rape isn’t rape, you caused this, and above all, you are never allowed to go to law enforcement’,” she said.
Danny Masterson has denied all wrongdoing and did not testify at either trial. His defense team did not present any witnesses at the trial. Instead, Phillip Cohen and Shawn Holley relied on cross-examination and logic-based arguments to undermine each accuser’s credibility. Cohen told jurors that it’s crucial to consider inconsistencies in the women’s stories.
“[Ms. Anson] did a very nice job of ignoring many of them,” Cohen said. “What she views as little inconsistencies are at the heart of trying to determine is somebody, reliable, credible, [and] believable enough for a criminal conviction?”
It’s worth noting that Judge Charlaine Olmedo only allowed the prosecution to directly say Danny Masterson drugged the women “after descriptions of their states at the first.” There is no physical evidence of drugging, as the investigation that led to the actor’s arrest did not begin until 15 years after the women said they were raped.
Meanwhile, Ashton Kutcher broke his silence regarding the allegations brought against Danny Masterson in an interview with Esquire. The actor took a neutral stance saying, “I can’t know. I’m not the judge. I’m not the jury. I’m not the DA. I’m not the victim. And I’m not the accused. And so, in that case, I don’t have a space to comment. I just don’t know.”
