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Danny Masterson: Prison switches, trial outcome and what you need to know
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Date:2025-04-23 00:46:51
Danny Masterson was recently transferred to another new prison after being sentenced to decades behind bars.
The disgraced "That '70s Show" star, 47, was convicted last year of raping two women in 2003. Since then, he has started his prison sentence, although he has been moved to several different facilities. Also after the conviction, the actor's former co-stars Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis faced major backlash for writing letters of support for him. Meanwhile, ex Bijou Phillips is moving on after filing for divorce from the actor, with whom she shares a child.
Here's everything you need to know about the fallout since Masterson's conviction.
What was the verdict of Danny Masterson's trial?
A jury found Masterson guilty of two counts of rape in May, though they couldn't reach a verdict on another rape count. A previous trial of Masterson ended in a mistrial in 2022.
What is Danny Masterson's sentence?
A judge sentenced him to 30 years to life in prison. In January, Masterson was denied bail pending his appeal, with the judge deeming him to be a flight risk.
Danny Mastersonsentenced to 30 years to life in prison for 2 rapes
Danny Masterson prison: Where is it?
Masterson is currently imprisoned at the California Men's Colony, a medium to minimum security prison in San Luis Obispo, according to online records from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
According to the CDCR website, the California Men's Colony is comprised of two physically separate complexes, an East Facility and a West Facility. In the East Facility, "dozens of classrooms, counseling offices and vocational shops are available," offering inmates "a myriad of educational and self-help programs." Similarly, the West Facility, offers "academic and career/technical education, as well as "self-improvement programs including: cognitive behavior therapy programs, substance abuse education, criminal thinking, anger management and family relationships."
Masterson had previously been staying at the Corcoran State Prison, which is known for having housed cult leader Charles Manson. Online records confirmed in January that he had been transferred to Corcoran.
Prior to that, Masterson began his sentence at North Kern State Prison.
That '70s Show' actor Danny Mastersontransferred out of maximum security prison
Masterson will be eligible for parole in 2042. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's website shows that he has a tentative date for consultation with the board of parole scheduled for May 2038.
Danny Masterson's wife Bijou Phillips 'doing good' after filing for divorce
In September, the same month Masterson received his prison sentence, his wife Bijou Phillips filed for divorce. She requested full legal and physical custody of their daughter, Fianna. The following month, Masterson requested that Phillips, who stood by him during his rape trial, be granted legal and physical custody of Fianna, with visitation rights for himself.
Danny Masterson'swife stood by him. Now she's filed for divorce. It's not uncommon.
In February, Phillips stepped out at a Grammys viewing party. She also briefly spoke to E! News, telling the outlet she's "doing good." She added that she and her daughter are a "great little team."
Ashton Kutcher returns to social media after backlash over Masterson character letters
In September, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis faced significant backlash after writing character letters in support of Masterson, their former co-star on "That '70s Show." They apologized at the time in a video shared on social media.
Kutcher said the letters were meant to "represent the person that we knew for 25 years" so a judge could "take that into full consideration" when sentencing him. But Kunis said they "were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury's ruling."
"They were intended for the judge to read, and not to undermine the testimony of the victims, or to retraumatize them in any way," Kutcher added. "We would never want to do that. And we're sorry if that has taken place."
Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunisaddress 'pain' caused by Danny Masterson letters: 'We support victims'
Backlash over the letters led Kutcher to resign from Thorn, the organization he co-founded to fight child sexual abuse.
"After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately," Kutcher wrote in a letter. "I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve."
In December, Kutcher returned to Instagram with his first post since his apology video with Kunis to wish his followers a happy Hanukkah.
The actor has also returned to posting on X, formerly Twitter. In a November post, he appeared to allude to the backlash while sending a Thanksgiving message. "I'm Thankful for 'No comment', thankful for learning, thankful for listening," he wrote. "Thankful for sharing this life with you."
Contributing: KiMi Robinson
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