Danny Masterson Denied Bail During Appeal, Judge Says Actor Has ‘Every Incentive to Flee’

A judge for the Los Angeles Superior Court has denied “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson bail pending appeal, stating the former actor has “every incentive to flee.”

“If defendant’s conviction and sentence are upheld on appeal, he will likely remain in custody for decades and perhaps the rest of his life,” Judge Charlaine Olmedo in an order on Wednesday.

Olmedo highlighted her decision is in part rooted in the possibility that the actor could take off on the run if granted bail, as he no longer has a spouse to go home to. Masterson and his wife Bijou Phillips are in the process of divorcing after 12 years of marriage. Phillips submitted the filing two weeks after Masterson was convicted in May 2023.

“In light of the fact that defendant has no wife to go home to, defendant now has every incentive to flee and little reason to return to state prison to serve out the remainder of his lengthy sentence should his appeal be unsuccessful,” the judge added, referencing the current divorce proceedings between Masterson and Bijou Phillips.

On Sept. 7, 2023, Masterson was sentenced the maximum 30-years-to-life in prison for raping two women in 2001 and 2003. While Masterson will be eligible for parole after 25 ½ years, he could still be held in prison for life. Both of the attacks took place in Masterson’s home in 2003.

Masterson has been in custody since his conviction after he was categorized as a flight risk. On Dec. 27, Masterson was transferred to North Kern State Prison, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in Delano, California where he will live out his sentence.