Danny Masterson has been found guilty of two counts of rape in his retrial in Los Angeles.

Danny Masterson has been found guilty of two counts of rape in his retrial in Los Angeles. The actor, known for his role in "That '70s Show," now faces a potential prison sentence of up to 30 years.

After seven days of deliberation spread over two weeks, the jury consisting of seven women and five men reached the verdict. However, they were unable to reach a verdict on the third count, which accused Masterson of raping a longtime girlfriend. The vote was 8-4 in favor of conviction.

Masterson was taken into custody immediately after the verdict and will remain held without bail until sentencing. The date for sentencing has not yet been set, but Masterson and his lawyers have been instructed to return to court on August 4 for a hearing.

Upon Masterson's arrest, his wife, Bijou Phillips, who is an actor and model, wept while other family and friends remained stoic.

One of the women, who was raped by Masterson at his home in 2003, expressed a mix of emotions, including relief, exhaustion, strength, and sadness, knowing that her abuser would face accountability for his actions. Another woman, a former girlfriend of Masterson, whose count resulted in a deadlocked jury, stated her encouragement that Masterson would face some criminal punishment while expressing devastation that he had evaded full accountability for his conduct.

Masterson's spokesperson declined to comment on the verdict, but his attorneys are likely to appeal the decision.

The charges against Masterson were filed in 2020, accusing him of raping three women between 2001 and 2003 at his Los Angeles home. His first trial in November of the same year ended in a mistrial when the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision on all three counts. A request to dismiss the case was denied in January, leading to the retrial, which lasted approximately three weeks. Masterson's defense team chose not to call any witnesses, and Masterson himself did not testify.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney, George Gascón, expressed gratitude to the three women who came forward to share their experiences, praising their courage and strength.

The second trial placed a significant focus on the Church of Scientology, to which Masterson and the women involved were connected. The women claimed that the church influenced their reporting of the assaults. A former member of the church's leadership testified as an expert on the institution's policies regarding going to the police. During the trial, a controversy arose when it was discovered that a Scientology attorney possessed trial evidence.

The women testified that church officials prevented them from reporting the assaults to authorities promptly. The church has denied having any policies prohibiting members from reporting fellow members to law enforcement. Following the verdict, the church again denied these policies and stated that the introduction of religion into the trial violated the First Amendment and affected the due process rights of all Americans.

Additionally, during the retrial, the prosecution was allowed to directly state that Masterson drugged each of the victims, which was only allowed as secondary evidence in the first trial. Although Masterson was not charged with drugging offenses, there is no toxicology evidence to support the assertion.

Masterson's defense attorney requested a mistrial due to the inclusion of the issue, but the motion was denied. It is expected to be a significant factor in any potential appeal.

The three women involved in the case accused Masterson of rape, with one alleging an incident in 2001, another in 2003, and the third claiming that Masterson raped her after inviting her to his house. Masterson pleaded not guilty to all charges.