Actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson has officially been charged with three counts of forcible rape for incidents that occurred between 2001-2003, and now, his alleged victims have come forward with a joint statement about their experiences and moving forward. The news broke on Wednesday, June 17th, that Masterson, best known for his role as Hyde on That 70's Show, had been arrested in Los Angeles on charges of forcible rape against three different women. He has been accused of raping a 23-year-old woman in 2001, a 28-year-old woman in 2003, and a 23-year-old woman sometime between October and December 2003. A statement from these three alleged victims was sent to journalist Yashar Ali by their attorney.
"Since we were victimized and raped by Danny Masterson—and knowing we are not the only victims—all we have wanted was justice, accountability, and truth," the statement reads. "Instead, we were subjected to continued harassment, embarrassment, and re-victimization by Masterson and the Church of Scientology, which has only worsened since they learned we were cooperating with authorities. We are thankful that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office is finally seeking criminal justice against Masterson after a three-year investigation. We are confident that the truth will be known and hope that the charges filed today are the first steps in this long journey of healing, justice, and holding those that victimized us accountable."
Masterson was first publicly accused of sexual assault back in 2017. The DA’s Office has declined to file charges against Masterson in two other sexual assault cases, either for insufficient evidence, or having exceeded the statute of limitations. If convicted of the three existing charges, Masterson faces a maximum sentence of 45 years to life in prison. He is set to be arraigned on September 18th.