One of Danny Masterson's accusers has spoken out after the actor was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.
Masterson, best known for his role in the popular sitcom That '70s Show, was sentenced last Thursday after being found guilty of for raping two women back in 2003.
The case was noteworthy not just for Masterson's celebrity status, but also for its deep entanglements with the Church of Scientology, which has been accused of discouraging the victims from coming forward, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo has denied Masterson's plea for a new trial and hearing emotional testimonials from the accusers. Following the sentencing, deputy district attorney in charge of the prosecution Reinhold Mueller spoke about the victims' commitment to justice, saying: "Today, we got it."
Masterson's sentencing is a landmark moment in the fight against sexual assault in Hollywood. Despite his lawyers' attempts to mitigate the term to 15 years by serving it concurrently, Judge Olmedo opted for a more stringent sentence. This case emerged after a rigorous three-year investigation initiated when accusations against Masterson came forward around the same time as those against Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo movement.
One of the accusers who has opted to speak out publicly is actress Chrissie Carnell-Bixler, a former Scientologist who had not only appeared on That '70s Show, but also had a relationship with Masterson for six years.
Carnell-Bixler married singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala in 2009 and left Scientology in 2016.
Back in May, the convicting jury was divided over Carnell-Bixler's rape allegation against Masterson. The jury leaned towards a guilty verdict in this case, with eight in favor and four opposed. Nevertheless, according to Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller, the prosecution decided not to seek a retrial for this particular charge.
But following Thursday's monumental sentencing, Bixler took to Instagram to share her thoughts, writing in an emotional post: "I’m still processing everything that happened yesterday. I will say that last night I had my first solid and peaceful night’s sleep in years."
After thanking those who helped bring Masterson to justice, Carnell-Bixler added: "To the rest of [Masterson's] survivors known and unknown… I hope you’re all experiencing justice and I pray deep healing for us all. Danny Masterson will never harm another woman for as long as he shall live. To all the victims of Scientology, we aren’t finished, yet."
Prosecutors didn't shy away from implicating the Church of Scientology during the trial. Masterson's accusers alleged that the religious organization played a role in discouraging them from alerting authorities about the assaults. Witnesses testified about fearing the label of a "suppressive person" within the church community, which could lead to their ostracization.
The Church of Scientology previously stated to ABC News that there is "no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct" and that their policy "explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land."
