Danny Masterson was joined by his family at a Los Angeles courthouse on Tuesday, May 18, where a woman tearfully testified to her alleged rape by the That '70s Show actor.
On Tuesday, May 18, the 45-year-old star, who is facing three charges of forcible rape, shared a photo of his wife, Bijou Phillips, driving him to the preliminary hearing. "Had the most beautiful Uber driver drop me off at school today," Masterson captioned the selfie, including the hashtags "#uberwife #bijouphillips."
Masterson geotagged the location of the photo "Court House," but offered no other explanation for posting the photo ahead of the pre-trial hearing, which is being held for a judge to decide whether the case will continue to trial. Masterson has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
During the preliminary hearing, the accuser, who identified herself on the witness stand as Jen B., recalled visiting the actor at his home on April 25, 2003, according to the Associated Press. She stated that she stopped by his house with the intention of picking up a set of keys, but stayed for a drink, along with other individuals.
The Associated Press writes that Jen testified she asked for a drink mixed with vodka, but 20 minutes later she began to feel ill, recalling how her sight was "blurry" as Masterson allegedly pushed her into a jacuzzi.
Jen, who the Associated Press described as "crying" but "composed" throughout the testimony, that she was unable to sit up in the jacuzzi and required the assistance of her friend to get out of the water. She recalled, "I couldn't walk or stand, so he put me on the tile on the ground... I said, 'Luke I can't see,' and he said, 'Open your eyes,' and I didn't know my eyes were closed. I couldn't open my eyelids. I felt really really sick."
She said Masterson then carried her upstairs to a bathroom, where she began losing consciousness. When she woke up, Jen testified that Masterson was bathing her nude body, at which point she weakly tried to push him off by throwing punches. Jen alleged Masterson then took her to his bed and raped her.
"When I came to, he was on top of me and he was inside of me," she said on the stand, per the Associated Press. "The first thing I recall is grabbing his hair to pull him off."
Additionally, Jen alleged Masterson threatened her with a gun that was in his nightstand.
Following the alleged rape, Jen said she felt immense pain, and bruises could be seen on her neck and wrists. However, she decided not to file a report with police because of her and Masterson's close ties to the Church of Scientology.
She explained to the court that she believed reporting Masterson, who was a high-ranking member at the time, would result in her being labeled a "suppressive person." Jen claimed that if that had happened, "I would lose my family and everyone I knew."
A year later, Jen decided to file a police report with the Los Angeles Police Department.
Just prior to Jen's testimony, Masterson's attorney Thomas Mesereau objected to any mention of the Church of Scientology in the hearing, according to documents obtained by E! News, arguing the prosecution and lead detective have shown "religious bias in the most blatant form."
Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo allowed Jen to discuss the religion as it pertained to her testimony.
Masterson is accused of forcibly raping Jen B. and two other women in separate incidents that took place between 2001 and 2003. He was arrested and charged on June 17, 2020, and subsequently released on $3.3 million bail.
At the time of Masterson's arrest last June, his lawyer told E! News, "Mr. Masterson is innocent, and we're confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify."
He pleaded not guilty to all charges when he was arraigned on Wednesday Jan. 20.
In addition to the three accusations of rape, Masterson and the Church of Scientology are involved in a separate ongoing lawsuit with four women, who allege the Church conspired to cover up the actor's alleged sexual crimes. Masterson and the Church deny the allegations.