The producers of Netflix’s The Ranch appear to have finally addressed the rape allegations against Danny Masterson by writing him out of the show, Variety reports.
Four women say that Masterson, who co-stars and co-executive produces The Ranch with Ashton Kutcher, raped them. The LAPD’s investigation into their claims has been fitful from the start, and just last month, the police department indicated that things had stalled despite “compelling evidence.” This prompted Leah Remini, a former Scientologist turned vocal critic of the organization, to claim that the Church Of Scientology was protecting Masterson, who remains a member.
Yesterday, news broke of a Netflix executive’s callous treatment of one of Masterson’s accusers; apparently, when asked why the streaming platform had failed to act on the rape accusations against the actor, director of global kids content Andy Yeatman told the alleged victim that Netflix just didn’t believe them. The company called Yeatman’s statements “careless” and “uninformed,” and suggested he had no insight into The Ranch’s production. And now, the company has announced that Masterson is being written out of the show, and will not appear in any new episodes after 2017. From a spokesperson:
As a result of ongoing discussions, Netflix and the producers have written Danny Masterson out of The Ranch. Yesterday was his last day on the show, and production will resume in early 2018 without him.
There’s no word on what will happen to Masterson’s EP credit on the show.
Update, 9:24 a.m. CT:
Per Variety, Danny Masterson has issued this statement in response to being written out of The Ranch.
I am obviously very disappointed in Netflix’s decision to write my character off of ‘The Ranch.’ From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. Law enforcement investigated these claims more than 15 years ago and determined them to be without merit. I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one. In this country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, in the current climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused. I understand and look forward to clearing my name once and for all. In the meantime, I want to express my gratitude to the cast and crew that I’ve worked so closely with over the past three seasons. I wish them nothing but success. I am also so thankful to the fans that have supported me and continue to do so.