That ’90s Show: Does Netflix series explain absence of Danny Masterson following rape trial?
‘That ’70s Show’ star appeared in court last year charged with allegedly raping three women in the early 2000s
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Your support makes all the difference.That ’90s Show has dropped on Netflix, but while stars ofThat ’70s Show such as Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher make an appearance, viewers won’t be hearing from Danny Masterson.
The 46-year-old actor appeared in court in November, charged with allegedly raping three women, including a former girlfriend, at his home between 2001 and 2003.
In December, the case ended in mistrial after the jury were deadlocked and unable to reach a verdict. Last week, prosecutors said that they would retry Masterson on all three counts.
At the time of the alleged assaults, Masterson was starring in That ’70s Show as Steven Hyde, a rebellious high school student and the best friend of series lead Eric (Grace).
On Thursday (19 January), spin-off series That ‘90s Show arrived on Netflix. You can read The Independent’s three-star review here.
The sequel (following on from That ’80s Show), focuses on the children of Eric and his classmates, with Grace and his former co-stars Laura Prepon, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis all making guest appearances.
Masterson does not, however, return to the show. While other former cast characters from That ’90s Show are referred to in the series, there is no reference to the character of Hyde.
When allegations against Masterson were first made in 2017, he was written out of Netflix show The Ranch, in which he appeared opposite his That ’70s Show co-star Kutcher.
Masterson is a member of the Church of Scientology, while two of his accusers were also members and said at the trial that they delayed reporting their alleged assaults because they feared reprisals from church officials.
Masterson’s accusers all ultimately left the church, which denied allegations that it worked to protect him. The defense attorney in the case, Philip Cohen, said that the accusers were using Scientology as a means to redirect attention away from holes in their case.
The actor, who has not received an acting credit since being fired from The Ranch, has denied all the allegations against him.
He did not testify in the trial or call any witnesses.
If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, you can contact your nearest Rape Crisis organisation for specialist, independent and confidential support. For more information, visit their website here.