'That '70s Show' to 30years prison sentence: Danny Masterson's fall
Earlier this month, Hollywood actor Danny Masterson (That '70s Show) was sentenced to 30 years in prison for two rape cases that transpired in 2003. He was found guilty of the crimes in May and a California courthouse passed its judgment in early September. From being a popular, beloved actor to now being a disgraced has-been, Masterson has tumbled down due to his horrific crimes.
Claim to fame and early global success
Stars once glittered brightly for Masterson, who, at 16, had already reportedly appeared in about 100 advertisements! The now-convicted rapist was once a heartthrob when he appeared on all eight seasons of That '70s Show, where he played Steven Hyde, and the show was a launchpad that popularized him throughout America and abroad. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis (now his rape apologists) co-starred.
He went on to star in other noteworthy projects
While That '70s Show was Masterson's claim to fame, it wasn't his only one. He went on to star in projects like Yes Man, The Bridge to Nowhere (which also featured his wife Bijou Phillips), The Chicago 8, the sitcom Men at Work, Netflix's comedy series The Ranch (50 episodes). However, his role was scissored out of The Ranch once rape allegations first surfaced.
Once allegations came up, Masterson began losing work
Being kicked out of The Ranch was the beginning of the end for Masterson, who, by December 2017, had been accused of sexual assault by four women. When another woman complained sometime later, his agency United Talented Agency dropped him and cut ties. In the same year, singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala shocked the world when he revealed that Masterson had assaulted his wife, too.
The rape survivors finally found justice in 2023
Cut to 2020, the actor found himself charged with the rape of a 23-year-old in 2001, followed by that of a 28-year-old in 2003, and another 23-year-old in 2003. Then, in May 2023, the jury convicted him of two out of three counts of felony rape, and in September 2023, he was handed the 30-year-long sentence in prison—a decision welcomed by social media users.
Kutcher and Kunis were bashed for seemingly supporting Masterson
Though the story should have ended there, it, unfortunately, didn't, due to Kutcher and Kunis writing letters of support for their close friend and former co-actor. While Kutcher called him a "role model," Kunis wrote, "an amazing friend, confidant, and, above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me." Soon after, they apologized on video after immense public outrage, though the damage was done.
