Danny Masterson, the actor best known for his role on That '70s Show, has filed an appeal against his 2023 rape conviction, arguing that he did not receive a fair trial. The appeal, submitted to the California state court of appeal on Wednesday, challenges the credibility of the plaintiffs and alleges procedural errors.
Masterson is currently serving a 30-year sentence for two counts of rape committed in 2003. His lawyers, Cliff Gardner and Lazuli Whitt, submitted a 244-page brief claiming that the trial court violated his rights by including Scientology doctrine in the proceedings and by excluding evidence that the plaintiffs had a financial motive to secure a conviction.
The lawyers argue that the plaintiffs, identified as JB and NT, stood to benefit financially from a rape conviction, as it would allow them to amend a pending civil lawsuit against Masterson and the Church of Scientology to seek damages for rape. The civil case, originally filed in 2019, alleged harassment but not rape due to statute of limitations restrictions.
Masterson has maintained his innocence, asserting that all sexual encounters were consensual. The Church of Scientology, of which Masterson and the plaintiffs were members, has denied allegations that it discourages members from reporting crimes.
The appeal contends that the exclusion of evidence regarding the plaintiffs' financial interest undermines the fairness of the trial. The civil case is scheduled for trial in Los Angeles superior court in 2025.
