A number of women have accused actor Danny Masterson of raping them in the past, and Netflix has dismissed him from the series “The Ranch” as a result.
Danny Masterson has been cut from “The Ranch” as a result of ongoing conversations, according to a statement released by Netflix on Tuesday. “His final day on the show was yesterday, and without him, production will resume in the new year.”
Mr. Masterson will continue to make appearances in the comedy series’ already-filmed fourth episode, which is set for release on December 15, as well as in a few episodes that will debut in 2019.
The announcement comes as Mr. Masterson is still dealing with complaints made by four women in the early 2000s. According to HuffPost, the Los Angeles Police Department’s protracted investigation into their allegations appears to have come to a standstill, and the authorities have not yet brought any charges.
One lady said that Mr. Masterson raped her anally, while another claimed that he started raping her while she was unconscious and choked her until she blacked out once more. The accusations were found in police files that Tony Ortega, a former editor of The Village Voice, published in March.
Mr. Masterson refuted the allegations in a statement, calling them “outrageous.”
Law enforcement looked into these allegations over 15 years ago and found them to be unfounded, he added. “I have never been accused of a crime, much less found guilty of one. You are deemed innocent unless and unless proven guilty in this nation. However, it feels as though you are guilty as soon as you are accused in the current political climate.
According to Mr. Ortega, who wrote a book on Scientology, at least three of the women asserted that the Church of Scientology, to which they and Mr. Masterson belonged, had pressured them to remain silent.
The Scientology Church “adamantly denied” pressuring victims. It issued a statement saying, “What is being stated is completely false.” “Religion has nothing to do with this. A discriminatory goal is being advanced by manipulating this news.
Danny Masterson “very disappointed” by Netflix’s decision
Comedy “The Ranch” centers on Ashton Kutcher’s character, a former professional athlete, who returns to his family’s ranch to assist his father and Mr. Masterson’s character, his brother.
Mr. Masterson stated in his statement that he was “very disappointed” with Netflix’s choice. He expressed gratitude to the show’s cast, crew, and viewers while wishing it prosperity.
A Netflix executive apparently unintentionally told one of Mr. Masterson’s alleged victims that the business did not believe the claims before the announcement on Tuesday.
The conversation started when the victim contacted Netflix’s director of global kids content, Andy Yeatman, at a children’s soccer tournament on Sunday, according to a report in HuffPost.
The woman reportedly questioned why Netflix had done nothing about Mr. Masterson after Mr. Yeatman revealed to her that he worked there.
The corporation, according to Mr. Yeatman, normally takes such accusations seriously, but Mr. Masterson’s accusers were not taken seriously.
The woman reportedly said to him, “I’m one of them,” according to HuffPost.
Mr. Yeatman’s remarks, according to a statement from Netflix, “were careless, uninformed, and do not represent the views of the company.”
The announcement of Mr. Masterson’s termination comes one day after Netflix said that Robin Wright would play the title role in the sixth and final season of “House of Cards.” Wright previously co-starred with Kevin Spacey until the latter was fired this fall as a result of many allegations of sexual misconduct.