That 70s Show actor Danny Masterson must stand trial for rape after three women claimed he attacked them nearly 20 years ago, a judge in the US has ruled.
Image: Burt Harris Image: Burt Harris THAT 70s SHOW actor Danny Masterson must stand trial for rape after three women claimed he attacked them nearly 20 years ago, a judge in the US has ruled.
That trial will represent the rare prosecution of a Hollywood figure in the #MeToo era despite dozens of investigations by police and the Los Angeles district attorney, most of which have ended without charges.His lawyers said they would prove his innocence, and during the hearing repeatedly challenged the women on discrepancies in stories they alleged the accusers had coordinated in the years since their alleged rapes.
During the hearing, Mesereau suggested that police, prosecutors and witnesses were tainted by anti-religious bias against the Church of Scientology.Scientology and its teachings came up so frequently during the hearing that the judge felt compelled to say the church was not a defendant. Ms Appelbaum said the three women had colluded to form a “sisterhood” that “seems to want to take down Mr Masterson and take down Scientology”.