
This post deals with sexual assault and might be triggering for some readers.
Following a three-year investigation, actor Danny Masterson has been charged with raping three women in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003.
The Los Angeles District Attorney's office said all the alleged rapes took place at Masterson's Hollywood Hills home. They involve the alleged rape of a 23-year-old woman in 2001, a 28-year-old woman in April 2003, and a 23-year-old woman in late 2003. The charges did not name the women.
The 44-year-old is most famous for his breakout role in the 1998 to 2006 television comedy series That 70s Show, in which he played a rebel teen.
Masterson, who has been married to actress Bijou Phillips since 2011, faces a maximum of 45 years in prison if convicted.
Danny Masterson with his former co-star on That 70s Show, Ashton Kutcher. Image: Getty.
Here's everything we know about the allegations and charges against Danny Masterson.
The sexual assault and stalking claims against Masterson.
In March 2017, four women came forward disclosing they were allegedly sexually assaulted by Masterson in the early 2000s.
Masterson is a member of the Church of Scientology, and at least three of the woman who accused him of sexual misconduct were also Scientologists. They reported the incidents to the Church of Scientology at the time, according to an investigative piece by Huffington Post. The women state they were vehemently pressured by the Church of Scientology to keep quiet and not involve the police.
According to journalist Tony Ortega, who obtained the police reports, one woman said the actor raped her when she was passed out. When she awoke, Masterson allegedly choked her until she was unconscious again. A second woman alleged he anally raped her.
In 2017, the Church of Scientology "adamantly denied" they pressured victims to stay quiet and added: "This story is being manipulated to push a bigoted agenda.”