Mistrial declared after jurors deadlocked in Danny Masterson rape trial
By Taylor Romine, CNN
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge declared a mistrial in the rape trial of actor Danny Masterson on Wednesday after jurors remained deadlocked, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office said.
Masterson was charged in 2020 with forcibly raping three women in separate incidents occurring between 2001 and 2003, CNN previously reported.
“While we are disappointed with the outcome in this trial, we thank the jurors for their service,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement. “We also want to give our heartfelt appreciation to the victims for bravely stepping forward and recounting their harrowing experiences.”
The district attorney’s office said “we will now consider our next steps” on prosecuting the case and did not indicate if they plan to refile.
CNN has reached out to Masterson’s attorney for comment. Outside of the court, Masterson did not respond to a verbal request for comment.
Masterson, who was charged by his full name Daniel Peter Masterson, is best known for his role as Steven Hyde on “That ’70s Show,” which aired for eight seasons on the Fox network from 1998-2006.
The show also starred Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon and Wilmer Valderrama.
Masterson would co-star with Kutcher again on Netflix’s “The Ranch.” He also had a role on TBS’s “Men at Work.” (TBS, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.)
In 2017, Netflix and producers of “The Ranch” wrote Masterson off the show amid rape allegations.
At the time, Masterson said he was “obviously very disappointed” by the decision, in a statement to CNN.
Following his arrest in June 2020, Masterson’s attorney Tom Mesereau told CNN: “Mr. Masterson is innocent, and we’re confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify.”
All of the alleged crimes took place at Masterson’s Hollywood Hills home, authorities said at the time.
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CNN’s Cheri Mossburg contributed to this report.
