Danny Masterson has officially appealed his rape conviction after being sentenced to 30 years to life in prison in September 2023 for two rapes he committed in 2003.
According to a 246-page document shared on Wednesday by the “That ’70s Show” alum’s lawyer, Masterson alleges numerous errors and biases “violated” his “rights to confrontation and a fair trial.”
The actor’s attorney, Cliff Gardner, also claimed in a statement that there are two “fundamental flaws” in Masterson’s convictions.
First, he claimed the trial was “rife with erroneous judicial rulings that skewed the jury’s view of the evidence against him.”
Secondly, Gardner claimed there was “a stunning amount of exculpatory evidence which was never presented to the jury.”
Gardner also said Masteron’s habeas lawyer “will be following up on the opening brief with a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus documenting additional defects in the trial process.”
Masterson, 48, was found guilty of raping two women in May 2023 in a retrial after the original jury was unable to reach a verdict regarding allegations from three accusers.
When he was found guilty in 2023, he was convicted of two of the three counts. The jury was left in a deadlock regarding the third count and it was therefore declared a mistrial and dismissed.
The “Men at Work” star had pleaded not guilty in January 2021 after being arrested in 2020.
“We’re confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify,” his attorney at the time, Tom Mesereau, told the Hollywood Reporter.
“Obviously, Mr. Masterson and his wife are in complete shock considering that these nearly 20-year old allegations are suddenly resulting in charges being filed, but they and their family are comforted knowing that ultimately the truth will come out.
“The people who know Mr. Masterson know his character and know the allegations to be false.”
Though Masterson’s estranged wife, Bijou Phillips, stood by his side during his trial, she filed for divorce after his rape sentencing.
After the divorce filing, Masterson agreed to give Phillips legal and physical custody of their 10-year-old daughter, Fianna.
Phillips and Fianna visited him on his birthday in March at California’s Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo, where he was transferred in February after staying at the maximum security Corcoran State Prison.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
