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Bijou phillips and danny masterson 2017 rape12/30/2023 "They were raped, they were punished for it, and they were retaliated against," Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller told jurors in his closing argument. The women testified that when they reported Masterson to church officials, they were told they were not raped, were put through ethics programs themselves, and were warned against going to law enforcement to report a member of such high standing. The judge kept limits on how much prosecutors could talk about the church, and primarily allowed it to explain why the women took so long to go to authorities. Ron Hubbard, the Church of Scientology has many members who work in Hollywood. Tensions ran high in the courtroom between current and former Scientologists, and even leaked into testimony, with the accusers saying on the stand that they felt intimidated by some members in the room.Īctor Leah Remini, a former member who has become the church's highest-profile critic, sat in on the trial at times, putting her arm around one of the accusers to comfort her during closing arguments.įounded in 1953 by L. Olmedo allowed expert testimony on church policy from a former official in Scientology leadership who has become a prominent opponent. The Church of Scientology played a significant role in the first trial but arguably an even larger one in the second. The Church of Scientology played a role in the trial "If you decide that a witness deliberately lied about something in this case," defense attorney Philip Cohen told jurors, going through their instructions in his closing argument, "You should consider not believing anything that witness says." The defense argued that the acts were consensual, and attempted to discredit the women's stories by highlighting changes and inconsistencies over time, which they said showed signs of coordination between them. Masterson did not testify, and his lawyers called no witnesses. They said he used his prominence in the church - where all three women were also members at the time - to avoid consequences for decades. They told jurors he drugged the women's drinks so he could rape them. Prosecutors, retrying Masterson after a deadlocked jury led to a mistrial in December, said he forcibly raped three women, including a longtime girlfriend, in his Hollywood Hills home between 20. "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," one of the women, whom Masterson was convicted of raping at his home in 2003, said in a statement. Other family and friends sat stone-faced. His wife, actor and model Bijou Phillips, wept as he was led away. The 47-year-old actor faces up to 30 years in prison. Masterson was led from the courtroom in handcuffs. They had voted 8-4 in favor of conviction. They could not reach a verdict on the third count, that alleged Masterson raped a longtime girlfriend. The jury of seven women and five men reached the verdict after deliberating for seven days spread over two weeks. Read on to learn more about the couple and how they met.LOS ANGELES - A jury found "That '70s Show" star Danny Masterson guilty of two out of three counts of rape Wednesday in a Los Angeles retrial in which the Church of Scientology played a central role. The "Raising Hope" actor chose to lay low after Masterson was arrested, even going so far as to delete her Instagram account, which she has since reactivated. "The Ranch" star's wife, Bijou Phillips, has stood by her husband's side since the allegations first emerged in 2017 in the midst of the #MeToo movement (via Heavy). Masterson know his character and know the allegations to be false," he said in a statement (via Twitter). Masterson and his wife are in complete shock considering these nearly 20-year allegations are suddenly resulting in charges being filed, but they and their family are comforted knowing that ultimately the truth will come out. Masterson is innocent, and we're confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify. Masterson's attorney, Tom Mesereau, denied that the actor engaged in any type of sexual misconduct. "Mr.
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