California court upholds Danny Masterson’s 30-year rape sentence

A California appeals court on Tuesday upheld Danny Masterson’s 30-year prison sentence for two rape convictions, rejecting the That ’70s Show actor’s challenge in an 89-page ruling.

The Tuesday ruling leaves in place Masterson’s 2023 conviction on two counts involving two women in 2003, while a third charge linked to a third plaintiff was quashed.

A three-judge panel rejected Masterson’s argument that Los Angeles superior court judge Charlaine F Olmedo had shown bias against Scientology during the trial. Olmedo’s remarks showed “no animus or departure from neutrality regarding Scientology”, the panel wrote.

Masterson had argued in a December appeal that he did not receive a fair trial, questioned the plaintiffs’ credibility and challenged rulings that allowed evidence about Scientology. He has insisted that sex with all three plaintiffs was consensual.

The panel also rejected arguments concerning the statute of limitations, evidentiary rulings and whether Masterson received an adequate defense. His lawyers, Cliff Gardner and Eric Multhaup, called the ruling an “unfortunate decision” in comments to Variety and said they would appeal to the California supreme court.

The case drew attention beyond Masterson’s acting career because prosecutors placed Scientology at the center of their explanation for why the women delayed going to law enforcement. Prosecutors argued that Masterson used his role in the church, where all three plaintiffs were members at the time, to avoid accountability.

Two accusers testified that Scientology officials told them they had not been raped after they reported Masterson internally. They said they were placed in “ethics programs”, which they compared with repeated interrogations, and warned against contacting police. One woman testified that she was shunned and ostracised after doing so.

Olmedo allowed Claire Headley, a former Scientologist, to testify as an expert on the church’s beliefs and practices. Headley told the court that Scientology treats going to law enforcement as a “suppressive act” punishable by excommunication.

Masterson’s lawyers argued on appeal that the trial court had improperly interpreted church doctrine. The appeals panel rejected that view, writing: “The jury in this case was not asked to determine the truth or falsity of Scientology doctrine or beliefs.” The panel added: “Admission of Scientology evidence for those purposes did not contravene the First Amendment.”

After Masterson’s 2023 conviction, the Church of Scientology said trial testimony and descriptions of Scientology beliefs were “uniformly false”. The church said it has no policy barring or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct to law enforcement.

The Guardian listed support resources for people affected by rape or sexual abuse, including Rainn at 800-656-4673 in the US, Rape Crisis at 0808 500 2222 in the UK and 1800Respect at 1800 737 732 in Australia.

Source: 89-page California appeals court ruling and The Guardian – Culture, Oct. 28, 2026.