Danny Masterson Written Out of Netflix’s ‘The Ranch’ Amid Sexual Assault Accusations

“Production will resume in early 2018 without him,” a rep for the streaming service tells TheWrap

Danny Masterson
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Danny Masterson has been written out of Netflix’s “The Ranch” following a series of sexual assault allegations lobbed against the actor. Yesterday was his last day with the Ashton Kutcher family comedy, which is now on a production hiatus until early 2018.

“As a result of ongoing discussions, Netflix and the producers have written Danny Masterson out of ‘The Ranch,’” a Netflix spokesperson told TheWrap. “Yesterday was his last day on the show, and production will resume in early 2018 without him.”

Season 4 of “The Ranch,” premiering on December 15, will feature Masterson. He’ll also be in some Season 5 episodes next year, we’re told, though Netflix does not have an exact count on how many of that batch will feature the “That ’70s Show” alum.

In March, three women told the Los Angeles Police Department that they were sexually assaulted by Masterson in the early 2000s. The accusers say they came into contact with Masterson through the Church of Scientology, and were pressured into keeping the allegations quiet by the Church, according to a report from Tony Ortega, a journalist who runs an anti-Scientology website called The Underground Bunker.

A fourth accuser came forward later, though by then the LAPD investigation into Masterson had “stalled,” per Huffington Post reporter Yashar Ali. The cops would not approve that complaint, Ali wrote. Actress and former Scientologist Leah Remini suggested the falling apart of the police probe could have something to do with the Church’s regular donations to local law enforcement.

In a statement, the Church of Scientology said: “The Church adamantly denies that it ever ignores any allegations of criminal behavior, especially at the expense of alleged victims. What is being stated is utterly untrue. This has nothing to do with religion. This story is being manipulated to push a bigoted agenda. The Church follows all laws and cooperates with law enforcement. Any statement or implication to the contrary is false.”

Masterson has denied the rape charges, having previously called the accounts “false allegations.”

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