Danny Masterson pleaded not guilty to several counts of rape.
“That ’70s Show” attorney Tom Mesereau spoke on Wednesday on behalf of his client in the Los Angeles High Court because Masterson was not in court.
Masterson is facing three charges of rape with violence or fear, stemming from incidents that allegedly took place in the early 2000s.
Masterson’s initial appearance in court took place in June and his entry has been postponed several times since.
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Prosecutors allege Masterson, 44, who has been released since his June 17 arrest, raped a 23-year-old woman in 2001, a 28-year-old woman in April 2003, and a 23-year-old woman. old woman between October and December 2003. All the alleged rapes took place in his home in Hollywood Hills.
If convicted, Danny Masterson could face up to 45 years in prison.
(AP, file)
Masterson could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted.
Mesereau, among whom Michael Jackson and Bill Cosby were the previous clients, said in court in June that the charges were the result of unfair hype from media and political pressure to prosecute his client. The lawyer said his team will prove Masterson innocent.
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Masterson’s arrest came after a three-year investigation that led to the rare persecution of a famous Hollywood figure in the #MeToo era. Despite dozens of investigations, most have led to no charges based on lack of evidence or too much time since the alleged sexual assaults.
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The alleged rapes took place at the height of Masterson’s fame when he played Steven Hyde in ‘That’ 70s Show ‘from 1998 to 2006.
Associated Press contributed to this report