Danny Masterson appeals 2023 rape convictions, aims for ‘complete exoneration’

In September of 2023, Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women.

Former That ’70s Show actor Danny Masterson, through his lawyers, has appealed his 2023 rape convictions.

In September of 2023, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women, both former members of the Church of Scientology (Masterson is still a member of the church). The actor, 47, was found guilty of two of three counts of forcible rape during his retrial in May 2023.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. The retrial was called after 2022’s original trial on the same three counts ended in a mistrial when a jury deadlocked, failing to reach unanimous verdicts.

Now, in a 242-page appellant’s opening brief filed on Dec. 18, Masterson’s lawyers allege that key witness testimonies morphed over time and “erroneous judicial rulings” skewed the jury’s view of the evidence against him.

In a statement posted to the Cliff Gardner law offices website, the lawyers said there were “two fundamental flaws” in Masterson’s convictions, one being the aforementioned skewed view and the second a “stunning amount” of alleged exculpatory evidence “never presented to the jury.”

His legal team goes on to say that these are only “one part” of their planned challenge to his convictions, and they are working towards Masterson’s “complete exoneration.”

Masterson originally filed a notice of appeal in November 2023. In January, the judge in his criminal case, Charlaine Olmedo, denied him bail pending his appeal, calling him a flight risk.

In June of 2023, Olmedo ruled Masterson’s ex-defence lawyers, Tom Mesereau and Sharon Appelbaum, leaked sensitive trial information to the Church of Scientology about the women who accused Masterson of rape, the Los Angeles Times reported.