DANNY MASTERSON CONVICTED OF 2 COUNTS OF RAPE
LOS ANGELES — “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson was led out in handcuffs from a Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday and could get 30 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty on two of three counts of rape at his second trial, in which the Church of Scientology played a central role.
Masterson’s wife, actor and model Bijou Phillips, gasped when the verdict was read and wept as he was taken into custody.
The jury of seven women and five men reached the verdict after deliberating for seven days spread over two weeks. They could not reach a verdict on the third count, that alleged Masterson raped a longtime girlfriend. They had voted 8-4 in favor of conviction. Masterson, 47, will be held without bail until he is sentenced.
“I am experiencing a complex array of emotions — relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness — knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will face accountability for his criminal behavior,” one of the women, whom Masterson knew as a fellow member of the church and was convicted of raping at his home in 2003, said in a statement.
A spokesperson for Masterson declined comment.
Christie presidential bid expected
NEW YORK — Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is expected to launch a Republican presidential campaign next week in New Hampshire.
Christie, who ran in 2016, is planning to make the announcement at a town hall Tuesday at Saint Anselm College’s New Hampshire Institute of Politics, according to a person familiar with his thinking.
Pence to launch 2024 bid in Iowa
NEW YORK — Former Vice President Mike Pence will officially launch his longexpected campaign for the Republican nomination for president in Des Moines, Iowa, June 7, the date of his 64th birthday, according to two people familiar with his plans.