Danny Masterson Mistrial explained after jury deadlocked in rape trial

Danny Masterson: Mistrial explained after jury deadlocked in rape trial

CNN —

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Wednesday declared a mistrial in the rape trial of actor Danny Masterson after the jury deadlocked, the Los Angeles County Attorney’s Office said.

Masterson was accused in 2020 of violently raping three women in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003, CNN previously reported.

“While we are disappointed with the outcome of this trial, we thank the jury for their service,” prosecutors said in a statement. “We also want to offer our sincere appreciation to the victims for bravely speaking out and sharing their harrowing experiences.”

The district attorney’s office said “we will now consider our next steps” to pursue the case and did not say whether they plan to re-file.

CNN has reached out to Masterson’s attorney for comment. Outside of court, Masterson did not respond to an oral request for comment.

Masterson, whose full name was Daniel Peter Masterson, is best known for his role as Steven Hyde on That ’70s Show, which aired on the Fox network for eight seasons from 1998 to 2006.

The show also starred Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Laura Prepon and Wilmer Valderrama.

Masterson would reprise his role in Netflix’s The Ranch with Kutcher. He also had a role on TBS’s Men at Work. (TBS, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.)

In 2017, Netflix and the producers of “The Ranch” wrote Masterson off the show amid rape allegations.

At the time, Masterson said in a statement to CNN that he was “obviously very disappointed” with the decision.

After his arrest in June 2020, Masterson’s attorney, Tom Mesereau, told CNN, “Mr. Masterson is innocent and we are confident that once all the evidence is finally out and witnesses have a chance to testify, he will be exonerated.”

All of the alleged crimes took place at Masterson’s Hollywood Hills home, authorities said at the time.