Two of Danny Masterson's Accusers Finally Received Justice

The gist:

• In June 2020, actor Danny Masterson was charged with three counts of rape.
• Masterson was later found guilty on two counts of rape and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
• Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 3 have identified themselves.

Content warning: This article mentions rape and sexual assault.

In June 2020, disgraced actor Danny Masterson was charged with three counts of rape. He was accused of forcibly raping three women from 2001 to 2003 and was taken into custody on June 17, 2020. The actor, who has worked on shows like That '70s Show and The Ranch, was eventually released after he posted a $3.3 million bond.

On Oct. 18, 2022, the sexual assault trial began with opening statements. Nearly seven months later, a verdict was reached on May 31, 2023. He was found guilty of two of the three counts of rape. And in September 2023, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Who are Danny Masterson's accusers? Here's what we know.

The criminal charges filed against Masterson stem from three separate incidents. On Oct. 18, 2022, a prosecutor in a Los Angeles courtroom described three previous rape allegations against the actor from two decades ago. He referred to the accusers by the initials J.B., N.T., and C.B., per People.

N.T. would later go on to publicly identify herself as actress Niesha Trout, while C.B. would later publicly identify herself as Chrissie Carnell-Bixler.

During the trial, Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller alleged that J.B. had two different incidents with the actor in September 2002 and April 2003. Initially no charges were filed, but she claimed she was raped again nine months later, which was the incident he was on trial for.

For six years, Masterson dated Carnell-Bixler, a model who alleged she woke up on several occasions to Masterson aggressively raping her.

Mueller also revealed a shockingly similar story with Trout, an actress on the show Oh, Grow Up. The lawyer said Trout claimed Masterson brought her to his house where she had several drinks and became ill, and was made to go to the jacuzzi, shower, and bed.

On May 31, 2023, the actor was convicted on two counts of forcible rape, per Variety. The outlet reported that "the jury could not reach a verdict on a third rape charge, deadlocking with a vote of 8-4 in favor of conviction." Masterson was immediately handcuffed and taken into custody until his hearing date.

"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," said Trout in a statement about Masterson's guilty verdict (per The New York Times).

The jury was deadlocked when it came to Carnell-Bixler's accusations. In the same statement, Carnell-Bixler said this was devastating for her.

She then added, "Despite my disappointment in this outcome, I remain determined to secure justice, including in civil court, where I, along with my co-plaintiffs, will shine a light on how Scientology and other conspirators enabled and sought to cover up Masterson’s monstrous behavior."

All three women were involved in the Church of Scientology, along with Masterson.

After being found guilty of two counts of rape, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Sept. 7, 2023. "Mr. Masterson, you are not the victim here," the judge said, per AP News. "Your actions 20 years ago took away another person's choice and voice. Your actions 20 years ago today were criminal, and that's why you are here."

“When you raped me, you stole from me,” said Trout in an impact statement to the judge at the sentencing. “That’s what rape is, a theft of the spirit.”

Carnell-Bixler and Trout's attorney Alison Anderson told Variety after the sentencing: “Niesha and Chrissie have displayed tremendous strength and bravery, by coming forward to law enforcement and participating directly in two grueling criminal trials. Despite persistent harassment, obstruction, and intimidation, these courageous women helped hold a ruthless sexual predator accountable today, and they are not stopping there. They are eager to soon tell the fuller story of how Scientology and its enablers tried desperately to keep them from coming forward.”

A trial brief filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in September 2022 alleged that Carnell-Bixler reported the rape to an "ethics officer" at the church, only to be told, "You can’t rape someone that you’re in a relationship with" and "Don’t say that word again," per The New York Times.

In this brief, J.B. also stated that she asked permission from the church to report the rape, but got a written response from the church's internal chief justice in which he quoted a decades-old policy letter about "suppressive acts." What this meant was, if J.B. reported Masterson to authorities, she would be "declared a suppressive person, and I would be out of my family and friends and everything I have," as she wrote in the brief.

Trout didn't tell the church about her assault, but did tell her mother as well as her best friend.

Regarding the guilty verdict, the Church of Scientology said in a statement, "There is not a scintilla of evidence supporting the scandalous allegations that the church harassed the accusers. The church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone — Scientologists or not — to law enforcement. Quite the opposite. Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land."