Danny Masterson got his big break playing Hyde in That 70s Show. But his career took a turn for the worse in 2017 when the actor was accused of rape by several women. Not only did he lose his role in Netflix’s The Ranch, but he was not called back to make a cameo on the reboot series That 70s Show. And now, it’s clear that Masterson won’t be able to make a return to Hollywood any time in the foreseeable future.
Earlier this month, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after being found guilty of sexual assault charges. Some of his That 70s Show co-stars showed their support for Masterson by writing letters asking for leniency for the actor.
Someone who never left his side, even through the long-drawn court battle, was Masterson’s wife, actress Bijou Phillips.
Danny Masterson Was Found Guilty of Sexual Assault Charges
In 2017, former That 70s Show star Danny Masterson was accused of attacking and sexually assaulting several women nearly two decades ago. Ultimately, four of these women filed a formal lawsuit against the actor for rape and against the Church of Scientology, which the actor is a member of, for harassment and attempting to obstruct justice.
Three years later, Masterson was arrested and charged with three felony counts of rape. The actor had to go through several long-drawn court trials before he was set free on a $3 million rape in March 2020. However, this was not the end for him. A couple of months later, a new trial against Masterson was held in Los Angeles, California.
Ultimately, Masterson was convicted of two of three counts of rape and was incarcerated at the Men’s Central Jail in L.A. to await sentence. Last Thursday, the former actor was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo.
"Mr. Masterson, I know that you’re sitting here steadfast in your claims of innocence, and thus no doubt feeling victimized by a justice system that has failed you," Judge Olmedo told Masterson. "But Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice, and choice. One way or another you will have to come to terms with your prior actions, and their consequences."
Bijou Phillips Also Faced Controversy In The Past
Bijou Phillips decided to stay married to Danny Masterson when the first allegations of rape against the actor came to light and she hasn’t left her side ever since. While she’s not the first person to stick to their partner even when they’ve committed serious crimes, fans can’t help but notice that although Phillips is not as famous as her husband, but is controversial.
The actress has been accused of assault on several occasions. For instance, in 2017, Daniel Franzese accused the actress of being physically abusive to him while filming the 2014 film Bully. "She body-shamed me and ridiculed me about my sexuality and physically assaulted me," the Mean Girls actor revealed.
The actor also said that, on one occasion, Phillips kicked him in the head so hard that he questioned whether he got a concussion. Although Phillips publicly apologized to her former co-star, she couldn’t really remember that time due to her struggles with substance abuse.
Later on, Franzese appeared on Heather Matarazzo's podcast Shut Up and Listen, where the Princess Diary star opened up about her own problems with Phillips while filming the movie Hostel: Part II. Matarazzo revealed that the film's producers would go out of her way to make her drink, despite being sober for several years.
On one occasion, Phillips witnessed how the producers were trying to pressure Matarazzo to break her sobriety. But instead of sticking to her co-star, Phillips allegedly began chocking Matarazzo and aggressively told her, “I’m going to make you relapse on this film.” To this day, Phillips has yet to respond to Matarazzo’s allegations.
Bijou Phillips Shocked Everyone With Her Reaction To Husband Danny Masterson’s 30-Year Prison Sentence
Before the September 7th hearing in which Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison, Bijou Phillips wrote to Judge Charlaine Olmedo to advocate for her husband’s character. She claimed that the actor had been a “life-saving partner” to her and was a great father to their daughter.
“More than anything, she loves her father. When he calls us each day, she ends with ‘I love you too much Daddy,’” Bijou wrote. “We need him more than you can imagine. I know he has been convicted of serious crimes. But the man I married has only been an extraordinary husband to me and a devoted father to our daughter.”
Although this letter resurfaced after the trial, social media users were shocked by Phillip’s reaction to Masterson’s ultimate sentence. While Carol Masterson, the actor’s mother, looked visibly upset, Phillips kept her sunglasses on the entire time and remained stoic. This could have been a glimpse to what was coming next, as Bijou Phillips filed from divorce from Masterson on September 20th.
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