Prosecutors Accuse Danny Masterson of Drugging Victims as Rape Retrial Commences

Danny Masterson’s rape retrial began on Monday with opening statements. Prosecutors once again told jurors in court in Los Angeles during their opening statements that the That ’70s Show star forcibly raped three women nearly 20 years ago. Masterson, who has denied the claims and pleaded not guilty, faces 45 years in prison if convicted.

As Variety reports, compared to last trial — which ended last November in a mistrial after jurors couldn’t reach agreement on a single charge — Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller appears to be honing in much more on claims that Masterson allegedly drugged the women before raping them. During the first trial, Mueller and witnesses on the stand often described symptoms such as quick onset nausea, memory loss, and wooziness even if they hadn’t had much alcohol to drink, but such descriptions stopped short of outright bringing any drugging allegation accusation forward. This time, Mueller was much more direct.

“The evidence will show they were drugged,” Mueller said during opening statements, according to Variety. Mueller also told the jurors that they would hear from an expert witness who would explain to them the symptoms of date-rape drugs.

Masterson’s last trial ended with jurors deadlocked, and each charge leaned to the majority finding him not guilty. Still, by January, the district attorney’s office had announced a new trial.

The retrial will also include testimony from a fourth woman accusing Masterson of rape, though her claim isn’t tied to any of the three charges that he forcibly raped three women. During Masterson’s previous trial, the three women whose claims against Masterson are linked to the charges told the court of emotional, often violent allegations such as that Masterson brandished a gun during one of the rapes, and that he dragged one of the women by her hair.

As Deadline reported, similar to last trial, during Masterson’s attorney Phillip Cohen’s opening statement on Monday, he told jurors that the women had little evidence to support their claims and claimed that their case was tainted because they spoke with one another to straighten out their story. He also told the jury that there were no drug charges for this case.

Scientology itself isn’t a defendant on this trial, but it remains one of the most prominent topics on the case. Masterson is a well-known Scientologist, and all three of the women who’ve accused him of rape are former members of the organization. During the previous trial, multiple witnesses told the court they feared being named a “suppressive person” which would excommunicate them from Scientology and force their families and loved ones in the church from communicating with them. One of the Jane Doe accusers recalled a church official threatening to label her a suppressive person for going to the police with her claims, and telling her to sign a $400,000 non-disclosure agreement. The Church of Scientology has denied the claims from the witnesses.

Leah Remini, a former Scientologist and now staunch critic of the organization, was in attendance on Monday. Masterson’s team requested for her to be removed, citing the possibility she’d be called as a witness, but that request was denied. She tweeted her support to the women accusing Masterson, saying that they “deserve justice for what they’ve been put through, not only by Danny but by Scientology.”