Danny Masterson pleaded not guilty to several rape charges.
That That 70s Show actor’s attorney Tom Mesereau spoke on behalf of his client at the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday, as Masterson was not present at the court.
Masterson faces three counts of rape forcibly or out of fear, arising from incidents that allegedly occurred in the early 2000s.
Masterson’s initial court appearance came in June and his charge has been postponed several times since.
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Prosecutors alleged that Masterson, 44, who has been on bail since his arrest on June 17, raped a 23-year-old woman in 2001, a 28-year-old woman in April 2003 and a 23-year-old woman. between October and December 2003. All the alleged rapes took place at her home in the Hollywood Hills.
If convicted, Danny Masterson faces up to 45 years in prison.
(AP, Archive)
Masterson faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted.
Mesereau, whose previous clients included Michael Jackson and Bill Cosby, said in court in June that the charges were the result of an unfair media advertising campaign and political pressure to prosecute his client. The lawyer said his team would prove that Masterson is not guilty.
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Masterson’s arrest came after a three-year investigation that resulted in the rare lawsuit against a famous Hollywood figure in the #MeToo era. Despite dozens of investigations, most have not resulted in any charges based on lack of evidence or a long time since the alleged sexual assaults.
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The alleged rapes took place at the height of Masterson’s fame, when he starred as Steven Hyde on “That ’70s Show” from 1998 to 2006.
The Associated Press contributed to this report