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Danny Masterson attributes his recent conviction in a 2023 rape trial to his lawyer’s failure to call crucial witnesses, as he seeks to overturn the verdict.
According to court documents obtained by Page Six, the former “That ’70s Show” star argues that his attorney, Philip Cohen, who stepped in for Masterson’s previous lawyer due to scheduling conflicts, only interviewed two witnesses out of a possible “more than 20” who could have testified in his favor.
The filing accuses Cohen of neglecting to reach out to these individuals, despite them having provided “prior statements to the police and to investigators.”
Furthermore, Masterson claims in the documents that Cohen did not challenge the prosecutor’s allegations concerning Scientology.
These allegations included assertions that the church intimidates women to prevent them from reporting prominent members to the authorities.
Masterson claims in the filing that Cohen was advised by attorneys for the Church of Scientology to call members to fight back against the allegations, but he allegedly failed to do so.
Per the filing, “the jury saw only the tip of the iceberg of available defense evidence in the form of the complaining witnesses’ inconsistent statements while the wealth of directly exculpatory evidence went unused for no viable tactical reason.”
Cohen wasn’t immediately available to Page Six for comment.
Masterson was arrested in June 2020 on three charges of rape that occurred between 2001 and 2003.
While the actor pleaded not guilty in January 2021, he was found guilty of raping two of three women in May 2023.
Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison and is currently serving time at the California Men’s Colony facility.
In December 2024, the “Ranch” alum appealed his conviction, arguing that there were several errors in his trial, which violated his “rights to confrontation and a fair trial.”
Amid his ongoing legal proceedings, Masterson’s ex Bijou Phillips filed for divorce in September 2023 shortly after his sentencing.
The actress had notably stood by Masterson’s side throughout the trial, though an insider previously told People that she went through “a very difficult time” after his conviction.
At the time, Masterson agreed to give Phillips full custody of their daughter, Fianna Francis.
Most recently, Phillip requested to remove his last name from the 11-year-old’s surname last month.