Danny Masterson Loses Appeal: 30-Years-to-Life Sentence Upheld by California Court

Danny Masterson’s legal team walked into court hoping to undo a 2023 rape conviction. They walked out with an 89-page ruling that said no to every single argument. A three-judge appellate panel on Tuesday upheld his 30-years-to-life sentence for two counts of forcible rape, rejecting claims that the trial judge was biased against Scientology, that the statute of limitations barred prosecution, and that key evidentiary rulings were unfair.

The conviction itself stems from testimony by two women who said Masterson raped them at his home in 2003. The case carried extra weight because of its ties to Scientology scrutiny in Hollywood, and the appeal leaned heavily on that angle. The panel didn’t buy it. Masterson’s attorneys, Cliff Gardner and Eric Multhaup, say they’ll now take the fight to the California Supreme Court and continue a separate habeas petition, maintaining their client is serving life for crimes he didn’t commit.

So what’s next? A Supreme Court appeal is a long shot by most measures, but it keeps the case in the headlines. Meanwhile, the decision stands as a win for prosecutors and for the two women at the center of the trial. Do you think this case will actually reach the California Supreme Court, or does today’s ruling close the book?