FORMER That '70s Show star Danny Masterson has been found guilty on two of three counts of rape in a Los Angeles court on Wednesday.
Masterson is reportedly facing over 30 years on all counts, however, the jury was deadlocked on the third, making it unclear what will come next.
The actor plead not guilty in his first trial in October, which ended in a mistrial a month later after the jury couldn't reach a decision.
Two of the 12 jurors voted to convict Masterson on one rape charge, four voted to convict him on a second charge, and five voted to convict him on the third charge.
Following the mistrial declaration, Masterson was spotted walking out of court with his wife, Bijou Phillips, as he sported a big smile on his face.
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His attorney Philip Cohen said at the time that the case was "about nothing other than the credibility of the three accusers and that credibility could only be determined by comparing, contrasting and focusing on the ever-evolving statements given by the women."
Masterson's legal team worked to get the case dismissed but were unsuccessful as the retail began last month.
Shawn Holley, known from the infamous OJ Simpson trial was brought on by Masterson's team.
Phillips reportedly cried in court as Masterson was taken away in handcuffs after the guilty verdict.
"I am experiencing a complex array of emotions – relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness – knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will face accountability for his criminal behavior," said one of the women who Masterson was convicted of raping in a statement.
The woman, whose count had the jury deadlocked said: "While I’m encouraged that Danny Masterson will face some criminal punishment, I am devastated that he has dodged criminal accountability for his heinous conduct against me."
Prosecutors told the jury that Masterson drugged the women's drinks so he could rape them and used his affiliation with the Church of Scientology - where all three women were also members at the time - to avoid repercussions for decades.
One of the accusers was Masterson's then-girlfriend of five years, who said she woke up to find him raping her and had to pull on his hair to stop him.
"The defendant drugs his victims to gain control," said Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson. "He does this to take away his victims’ ability to consent."
Masterson didn't testify and his lawyers didn't call for any witnesses, however, the defense argued that his interactions with the women were consensual.
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The defense tried to discredit the women by showing changes and inconsistencies in their stories over time.
"If you decide that a witness deliberately lied about something in this case," Cohen told the jury in his closing argument. "You should consider not believing anything that witness says."
Current and former Scientologists filled the courtroom as the religion played a significant role in both of Masterson's trials.
The church was founded in 1953 by L. Ron Hubbard and has many members that work in Hollywood.
Leah Remini, a former member and one of the biggest critics of the church sat in on the trial and was seen comforting one of the accusers during closing arguments.
The prosecution argued that the church was one of the reasons why it took the women so long to go to police with what happened to them.
The women testified that they reported Masterson to church officials and were told that they were not raped, put through ethics programs, and were warned to not go to the police.
"They were raped, they were punished for it, and they were retaliated against," said Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller.
"Scientology told them there’s no justice for them. You have the opportunity to show them there is justice."
The church denied these allegations.
Masterson, who was known for playing Steven Hyde on the beloved sitcom, was charged in 2020 with victims alleging that the incidents happened between 2001 to 2003 - which would have been when Masterson appeared on the program.
That '70s Show also saw the careers of Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, and Topher Grace.
Kutcher and Masterson reunited on the Netflix comedy The Ranch, playing brothers Colt and Rooster Bennett in 2016.
However, Masterson's character was written off the show after an LAPD investigation was revealed in December 2017.
The actor has routinely denied any rape allegations against him, claiming that the incidents were consensual.
In a statement, the Church of Scientology released a statement, calling the religion's introduction into the trial by prosecutors an "unprecedented violation of the First Amendment and affects the due process rights of every American."
"The Church was not a party to this case and religion did not belong in this proceeding as Supreme Court precedent has maintained for centuries.
"The District Attorney unconscionably centered his prosecution on the defendant’s religion and fabrications about the Church to introduce prejudice and inflame bigotry. The DA elicited testimony and descriptions of Scientology beliefs and practices which were uniformly FALSE."
The church continued: "The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone - Scientologists or not - to law enforcement. Quite the opposite, Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land. All allegations to the contrary are totally FALSE.
"There is not a scintilla of evidence supporting the scandalous allegations that the Church harassed the accusers. Every single instance of supposed harassment by the Church is FALSE, and has been debunked."
