Danny Masterson Claims Rape Conviction Might Have Been Prevented If Attorney Had Believed in Church Of Scientology

Danny Masterson Blames Lawyer for Rape Conviction

Actor Danny Masterson, known for his role in “That ’70s Show,” is attributing his rape conviction to mistakes made by his former attorney. He argues that his lawyer did not adequately defend the Church of Scientology during the trial.

Masterson is currently facing a sentence of 30 years to life, following his conviction in 2023. He claims that his lawyer, Philip Cohen, failed to call crucial witnesses because of scheduling issues with his lead counsel, as reported by TMZ. In a filing submitted to the court, Masterson requested that the conviction be overturned, pointing out that Cohen did not bring any Scientologists to testify against the prosecution’s allegations regarding the church.

The actor further contends that Cohen did not sufficiently review the defense case and had only interviewed two of the over twenty potential witnesses who could have testified in his favor. This is a significant claim, considering that those witnesses might have helped demonstrate his innocence, according to Masterson.

During his trial, Scientology became a prominent topic, especially after prosecutors suggested the church discourages women from reporting allegations against high-profile members and intimidates those who pursue legal action.

Masterson also mentioned that Cohen ignored many of the statements he had provided to investigators, which he believes could have strengthened his defense.

He argues that the jury only got a glimpse of the defense evidence, noting that while there were inconsistent statements from witnesses against him, a substantial amount of exculpatory evidence was left untapped for strategic reasons.

The initial trial in 2022 ended in a mistrial when the jury couldn’t reach a unanimous decision. In a retrial in May 2023, he was convicted on two counts of rape, but the jury was deadlocked on a third count related to his ex-girlfriend, leading a judge to dismiss those charges altogether after prosecutors opted not to retry the case.