Prosecutor: Danny Masterson absolutely drugged women before raping them

In the wake of Danny Masterson’s sentencing last week – he got 30 years in prison for being a serial rapist – one of the biggest headlines was about the letters of support Masterson got from his celebrity friends, including Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. Ashton and Mila’s letters were so egregious and full of lies that they were leaked publicly within 24 hours of Masterson’s sentencing. One of the most disgusting aspects of their letters was Ashton and Mila crediting Masterson for being drug-free and encouraging his friends to be drug-free. Masterson was convicted of drugging and raping multiple women. Please allow the prosecutor to summarize:

A prosecutor in the Danny Masterson rape trial described the behavior and actions of the former That ’70s Show actor as “predatory in nature as well as opportunistic.” Masterson, 47, was sentenced Sept. 7 to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women at his Hollywood Hills home in the early 2000s.

“It’s been a long time coming for them to get their justice,” Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller tells PEOPLE in an interview. Mueller says the judge’s prison sentence was “absolutely the right decision.”

Mueller says Masterson was “consistent in the manner in which he forcibly raped each of his victims.”

“He surreptitiously drugged the victims using an alcoholic beverage as the vehicle for administration, and then forcibly raped them as they became incapacitated,” he says. “This afforded him the opportunity to obtain control and dominance over his victims as he carried out his forcible assaults.”

There was no toxicology analysis done to verify what the victims were allegedly drugged with, but Mueller says “our suspicion is that the drug used was GHB, based largely on the nature of the consistent symptoms experienced and rapid onset.” Mueller noted there’s no confirmation the victims were drugged with GHB.

“We did have an experienced toxicologist testify to the typical nature and side-effects of various date rape drugs that commonly existed within the social scene during the time period of when these rapes occurred, ” he says. “She was asked hypothetical questions that presented similar facts, circumstances and adverse reactions that were experienced by these victims after consuming an alcoholic beverage furnished by the defendant. She then testified to her expert opinion that the physical and mental symptoms experienced by these victims is not consistent with consumption of the amount of alcohol, alone.”

[From People]

The fact that Ashton and Mila wrote letters of support for Masterson is enough to cancel them off the face of the earth, but the whole thing about Masterson’s anti-drug persona is a really appalling part of the story. Ashton and Mila knew what Masterson had been charged with, they knew why he was on trial and the specifics of his victims’ claims. And they still wrote to the judge and talked about how Masterson was so anti-drug and he was such a good guy and something something 9/11. It’s insane. Meanwhile, some of the victims’ statements have also been making news after Tony Ortega published them:

The statements materialized Tuesday when Scientology blogger Tony Ortega obtained the court records and posted the transcripts, in their entirety, at his site the Underground Bunker.

“Of course, there are many cowards who can claim they just never saw him rape anyone,” Niesha Trout, who self-identified after going as Jane Doe 2 during trial, said in her impact statement. “Yeah, that’s generally not how sexual assault or rape works. We know that. For those of you living under a rock, who might have publicly stated before this trial they hoped he’d be found innocent, let me state this: I read that, and my own daughters could read that, too.”

That was a clear reference to an April interview that Kutcher did with Esquire, in which he said he’d hoped Masterson would “be found innocent of the charges brought against him.”

[From The Wrap]

I’m sure Trout was referencing Ashton as well, but here’s the thing: I’m sure Ashton knows exactly what Masterson has done. I don’t even believe “well, Ashton never saw him rape anyone.” Ashton knew what his bro was up to.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

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52 Responses to “Prosecutor: Danny Masterson absolutely drugged women before raping them”

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  1. Brassy Rebel says:

    Everyone in the Church of Scientology knows exactly what he did and who he is.

    • AlexS says:

      Scientology has an distrubing and disgusting habit of covering up and protecting abusers and sexual predators. I mean its not surprising, Hubbard and Miscavige are and were abusers, no shock its engrained in Cos.

      • Jaded says:

        Absolutely. And who’s on the run trying to get away from charges of trafficking underage girls into Co$? None other than David Miscavige.

      • Sugarhere says:

        May I ask why it took 20 years to convict him?

      • Christine says:

        Watch Leah Remini and Mike Rinder’s show. Then Google Lisa McPherson, there has never been any justice for her, because women are ancillary, always.

        If these women he raped were scientologists, there would have been an entire system in place to protect him ($$$cientology), no one gives a shit about raping and killing women.

        This is where the rabbit hole of this cult first started to feel the heat, of the media. Look at the date. There was a hero journalist who dived deeper.

        https://www.tampabay.com/special-reports/2019/10/17/scientology-the-truth-rundown/

        There is an entire ecosystem in scientology, just like all parts of this planet.

  2. So with the drugs the rapist is a do as I say( don’t take drugs) not as I do ( drug females through an offered drink) kind of guy. Well how very f cking thoughtful for him to warn others about drug use. Ashton knew what was going on with the rapist.

  3. B says:

    I don’t understand how you look in the mirror when your game is so bad that you have to drug women to get laid.

    • Katie says:

      That’s not how any of this works. Rape is not about getting laid. It is about power and control.

      • bisynaptic says:

        …Except that power and control are ultimately about sex—ie, mating opportunities and reproductive fitness: evolutionary biology.

    • CherHorowitz says:

      I know you’re probably just trying to put down the rapist and fair play, and you’re probably being tongue in cheek but not sure talking about his level of ‘game’ in reference in whether he ‘needs’ to rape woman is phrasing that is appropriate for the subject matter.

    • Normades says:

      It has nothing to do with his game. Some of his victims were his girlfriends with who he was already intimate with. He drugged them to do horrendous violent things to their bodies while they were unconscious.

      • Mallory says:

        ^ THIS ^ And he terrorized them afterwards with zero remorse. Guy gets off on causing women pain & “putting them in their place”….not Ashton, though, and that’s what matters to him.

    • Nutella toast says:

      @B it’s always about power, not sex. The drugging IS part of the turn-on…exerting your decision to incapacitate someone without their consent. I *hope* you meant to seem like an ally, but this statement is super problematic. I work at a sexual assault agency and experienced what the victims went through personally (including the drugging without knowing it). It’s not about game.

      • B says:

        Ladies, these are all fair and appropriate responses. I’m sorry I didn’t articulate what I meant in a better way. Thank you for the feedback.

    • Luna says:

      How did he get the drugs to rape them? I would think a famous Hollywood person would have a hard time anonymously buying drugs without somebody somewhere willing to say something.

      Granted, based on the victim statements he does sound like a complete sociopath so maybe he just assumed no one would say anything, as usual

      • Normades says:

        I’m sure it was very easy for him to acquire. He was in the club scene, was rich and knew a lot of people. For all we know his dealer could have been another Scientologist.

      • Lucy says:

        Are you kidding, Luna? Hollywood is made of people who will sell drugs to anyone, or even discreetly provide them in exchange for cool parties. If Lindsay Lohan, Johnny Depp, RDJ, River Phoenix, etc forever are able to get drugs without us knowing the name of their drug dealer, pretty sure some guy from a sitcom can.

      • MoonTheLoon says:

        Hollywood is teeming with dealers willing to supply and keep schtum. Well, until the dealers have a favour to call in. That’s when the rumours and stories start. Someone like Masterson need only WhatsApp someone and he’d have his pick.

      • Agreatreckoning says:

        @Luna, you’re joking, right? You’re legit not asking THAT question?

        I hope anyone that sent letters of support for Masterson lands in Donesville.

    • Mango says:

      @moontheloon It was 2001, there was no WhatsApp. Hollywood has always been overflowing with illegal drugs though. Half the time the celebrity doesn’t even ask for them. They are just given to them whether they want them or not. Rape drugs are especially evil, but certain horrific Hollywood parties have them. It’s horrible and really disturbing.

    • kirk says:

      Sorry “B” – rape is about power over another person, NOT having sex with them. However…people have been praising Wilmer Valderamma for not writing a Masterson character reference, but apparently forgot he did an especially sleazy Howard Stern interview basically calling roofies a “silent fact” of dating. Ugh. My kids used to watch 70s show reruns, that won’t be happening again. https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7dlxw6

  4. It Really Is You, Not Me says:

    I can’t even look at pictures of this rapist dirt bag without my skin crawling, like I am having an actual visceral reaction.

    I’m glad his victims got justice, full stop. I think Christina Rocco said it best explaining that someone you love who has always been good to you can do evil things behind closed doors. In fact, that’s how these dirtbags get away with it for so long.

  5. AmyB says:

    I read all the victim’s impact statements as well as the Judgement’s statement – I suggest others do as well to fully grasp the scope and magnitude of what this serial predator and violent rapist did to these women and how he and Scientology destroyed their lives. Scientology played a direct role in protecting Masterson from his crimes for decades, and in destroying the victims’ lives in the process thankfully they did not succeed, and his victims saw justice. 🙏

    • Ocho says:

      I read the victims’ statements too @AmyB. One detail that stayed with me was that he made one of his victims go into Scientology Headquarters and sit at a table opposite him and describe in detail everything that happened during the rape. And then he laughed.

      He is cruel.

      • AmyB says:

        Yes, and how he had some other kids come up to her 9-year-old daughter at some fundraiser at school, and talk about her mother being raped?? Prompting her daughter to ask “what is rape” to her mother in the car!! WHO does that!?! A sadistic, sociopathic monster, that is who!!

    • Golly Gee says:

      And the civil suit coming up from these women against both Scientology and Masterson is all about the harassment they have incurred over the last 20 years to try to silence them and punish them when they went to law enforcement. They were dogged day in and day out by private investigators, threatened and even had pets poisoned by these sociopaths.
      On top of that Judge Olmedo had to sanction Masterson ’s previous attorneys for violating her court order by leaking criminal trial Files about the defendants to the church of Scientology’s attorneys — presumably to be used against the women in the upcoming civil trial.
      There is documentation showing that the Hollywood division of the LAPD is in Scientology‘s pocket and the LAPD knows about it. It came out when the LAPD started to investigate and sent an internal memo saying to keep the information away from the Hollywood division because they were compromised.

  6. ThatsNotOkay says:

    He absolutely did use drugs…to rape women. He just might not have consumed them himself. Because that might have diminished his raping abilities. And you never want to dampen your ability to rape.

  7. Genessa says:

    They are disgusting. Never been a fan of Mila or Ashton and certainly am not now. Mila especially with her rabid defense and love for Justin Timberlake.

    I get architectural digest and I love it. There are so many great stories from celebs and cool houses, etc. For instance, swizz and Alicia bought a house that he had as his screen save for almost a decade!!!! And he feels he manifested it after all those years. Anyways, Mila and Ashton were in one issue. They were so out of touch. They had a $200k chandelier they built a party barn around?? And they kept talking about how they tested various locations for this “party barn” so that their kids and her parents (who lived with them at the time) couldn’t hear anything from the party barn. This was several years ago and it was so creepy and weird and they were laughing about it. What is happening in this barn that you are testing locations for it?? Gross. All of them.

    • Hannah1 says:

      Thanks for the idea, Genessa. It hadn’t occurred to me that I am at a point in my life where I would shamelessly get a lot of enjoyment out of an AD subscription —But yes! Yes I am!

      (and def agree re all of them)

  8. Becks1 says:

    Ugh, what a disgusting human being.

    There’s a clip floating around Twitter of an interview Masterson did with Conan O’Brien, and there’s some reference to asking girls to say hi to his balls and Conan is kind of like “why would you go there” and then he said something like “well I’ve heard about you.”

    So yeah Ashton definitely knew. It seems like lots of people knew.

  9. Gabby says:

    “…never saw him rape anyone”. That part really pisses me off. Any time a crime is committed, there are people on this earth who don’t see you do it. It does not mean the motherf#cker is innocent.

    Ashton and Mila preached that their rapist friend deserves leniency because he lives an anti-drug lifestyle and kept them off drugs (“he benefited me so he should go free”). Pretty rich for actors who made their names and fortunes depicting stoners and drunks on screen. That 70’s Show? Dude Where’s My Car? Bad Moms? Indeed.

    Enjoy prison, Danny.

    • DK says:

      Excellent point! How many people did they encourage to take drugs, just by promoting a drug lifestyle in their daily work?!

    • BeanieBean says:

      I just read the victims’ statements on Newsweek’s website. It’s a tough read, so I’d be wary of reading this for anyone who may be triggered. It is gut wrenching. I’m in awe of the women being able to express themselves. And they needed to. They needed to say what this did to their lives, the judge needed to hear it, everyone needed to hear it. All who wrote letters on behalf of this monster DEFINITELY needed to hear it (though they’ll likely not).

  10. Karmaflower says:

    What shocks me is how Kutcher could defend this rapist when he is also a huge advocate, fundraiser, & founder of Thorn. He knows all about how monsters groom children and sexually assault them, but cannot make the leap that he has worked with a rapist of women who also couldn’t consent?

    A statement after the fact isn’t going to work. He needs to deeply re-evaluate who he is as a person.

    • Ace says:

      I keep seeing people mention this work he supposedly does for traficking victims and I’m astounded by how well his PR works.

      He’s shown his ass again and again and yet people somehow still believe he has good intentions. Whatever he’s paying those PR people I guess they deserve it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he skated over this agai, and in ten years. when he shows again what a piece of shit he is, people will be once again surprised by it.

    • BlueNailsBetty says:

      @KarmaFlower Yep, all of that.

      Here’s my prediction: someday someone is going to name Kutcher as a predator. The facade is crumbling and I don’t believe, even for a second, Ashton and the other guys in that pack were paragons of virtue and that Masterson was an outlier. More info will come out, this is just the beginning.

      • MoonTheLoon says:

        I mean, Wilmer Valderrama has been rumoured to be a fiend for ages. Seems only Topher Grace was even close to clean. And I’m still holding my applause on that one.

    • VoominVava says:

      I was thinking, after the very harsh sentencing and the attention this trial has gotten, someone HAS to go after scientology for bein a part of the cover up and abuse, right?? oh please let it happen. I watched Lea Remini’s show on scientology and it was riveting and shocking and amazingly brave.

  11. girl_ninja says:

    What a fucking monster. Drag him all the way to hell.

    I find it especially disgusting and egregious that Mila starred in AND produced the film Luckiest Girl Alive about a victim of rape (and school gun violence). The author was also a vicitm of rape and adapted the book for the Netflix film. How Kunis could work with Jessica Knoll the author and play this role is beyond me when she is defending a violent rapist. She’s a fraud plain and simple.

  12. Tila says:

    He knew what Masterson was up to but didn’t care. His whole advocacy for the victims of trafficking was such a front.

  13. Southern Fried says:

    Earlier the dailyfail had pix of Danny’s wife out with Danny’s brother Jordan and it looks like they are lovers embracing, Ick ick ick

  14. BQM says:

    Kutcher and Kunis deserve the dragging but they weren’t the only ones who wrote letters. The actors who played kitty and red did as well. As did his brother in law William Baldwin, married to Chynna Phillips. People may say ‘well, they’re brothers in law’ but masterson and Kutcher were like brothers apparently. They all deserve condemnation but have escaped this far since they’re not the bigger names.

  15. Ladiabla says:

    I read up on some of the case and oh man, guy’s a monster. I can just imagine, this being around the height of his fame, and the huge ego-driven entitlement he must have had to do the things he did. Nothing surprises about men and the magnitude of their egos anymore. He’s a psycho and I hope he serves every year of that sentence. He’s 47 now, so good luck.

  16. Jaded says:

    Just saw a piece on YouTube about 2 more women coming forward with their Masterson horror stories, both were drugged but fortunately one was with a friend who immediately took her out of the house while Bijou was screaming obscenities at them and Masterson. I imagine there will be more stories as the days go by and his victims get the courage to reveal the atrocities he did to them.

    • Andrea says:

      I had an ex whom I took to court for stalking me and a lot of women contacted me during one of the trials with horror stories of abuse and rape that spanned 15 years. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are hundreds of women whom Masterson preyed on.

  17. Christine says:

    Knives are out, scientology.

    It’s about time.

    • kirk says:

      After watching Leah Remini’s show on Netflix and reading Going Clear I felt badly about people stuck in the organization, especially children. But it’s hard to muster more energy to fight another bad thing, especially when ppl #s are relatively small and organization is diminishing itself by its own practices. However, this might present another opportunity to complain about CoS to IRS TEGE citing victim’s court testimonies. Hope case outcome signifies loosening of CoS stranglehold on LAPD. Link to fairly recent SSRN paper proposing IRS reexamine tax exempt status is interesting, but recall vicious CoS attacks on individual IRS, gov employees is spooky – https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3786391

      Process to complain to IRS TEGE – https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-news/fs-08-13.pdf