Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced earlier today that Danny Masterson, best known for his role as Steven Hyde on That ’70s Show, has been charged with “three counts of felony forcible rape” involving three different women between 2001 and 2003.
He was taken into custody earlier this morning and eventually released after posting bail, and if convicted, the actor faces a possible maximum sentence of 45 years to life, which he’d serve in state prison. The victims are only being identified as Jane Does at this time but one was a 23-year-old woman who Masterson had invited to his home some time in 2003, while he’s also being accused of raping a 28-year-old that same year and a 23-year old in 2001.
These charges follow years of allegations and lawsuits against the 44-year-old and a three-year investigation, which began in 2017. All three of the alleged incidents that he’s being charged with are of rape by force or fear and all took place in Masterson’s Hollywood Hills house.
Aside from That ’70s Show, Masterson has appeared in a whole bunch of other films and TV shows, with his most notable other credit being his role as Jameson ‘Rooster’ Bennett on The Ranch. However, he was ultimately dropped from the series due to multiple sexual assault allegations.
In recent years, the That ’70s Show star has been keeping a bit of a low profile – and understandably so. In fact, his last credit on IMDb is the aforementioned Ranch. Though he does have one other film completed, Killing Winston Jones. Meanwhile, he was also set to direct and star in a project called In Limbo, but it’s highly doubtful that will go ahead now given what’s happened and the serious charges laid against him.