Danny Masterson is blaming his lawyer for failing to summon key witnesses during his 2023 rape trial as he tries to overturn his conviction.
According to new court documents obtained by Page Six, the “That ’70s Show” alum claims his attorney Philip Cohen — who took over for the actor’s former lawyer due to scheduling issues — only questioned two out of potentially “more than 20 potential witnesses” that could’ve spoken in his defense.
Per the filing, Cohen allegedly didn’t attempt to contact the witnesses, who he claimed had given “prior statements to the police and to investigators.”
Danny Masterson claims his lawyer, Philip Cohen, failed to summon key witnesses during his rape trial, as he attempts to overturn his conviction. SplashNews.com
Per court documents obtained by Page Six, the actor claims that the lawyer only questioned two out of potentially “more than 20 potential witnesses” that could’ve spoken in his defense. dannymasterson/Instagram
Masterson also alleges in the docs that Cohen chose not to refute the prosecutor’s allegations about Scientology.
Among the allegations was that the church threatens women if they report high-profile members to authorities.
Masterson claims in the filing that Cohen was advised by attorneys for the Church of Scientology to call members to fight back against the allegations, but he allegedly failed to do so.
Per the filing, “the jury saw only the tip of the iceberg of available defense evidence in the form of the complaining witnesses’ inconsistent statements while the wealth of directly exculpatory evidence went unused for no viable tactical reason.”
He alleged in the docs that Cohen didn’t attempt to contact the potential witnesses. AP
Masterson also alleged, per the docs, that the attorney chose not to fight back against the prosecutor’s allegations about Scientology. Getty Images
Cohen wasn’t immediately available to Page Six for comment.
Masterson was arrested in June 2020 on three charges of rape that occurred between 2001 and 2003.
While the actor pleaded not guilty in January 2021, he was found guilty of raping two of three women in May 2023.
“The jury saw only the tip of the iceberg of available defense evidence,” the filing reads. Getty Images
Reps for Cohen weren’t immediately available to Page Six for comment. Wade Payne/Invision/AP
Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison and is currently serving time at the California Men’s Colony facility.
In December 2024, the “Ranch” alum appealed his conviction, arguing that there were several errors in his trial, which violated his “rights to confrontation and a fair trial.”
Amid his ongoing legal proceedings, Masterson’s ex Bijou Phillips filed for divorce in September 2023 shortly after his sentencing.
Masterson was found guilty of rape in 2023. Instagram
He was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. Eric Charbonneau/Invision/AP
The actress had notably stood by Masterson’s side throughout the trial, though an insider previously told People that she went through “a very difficult time” after his conviction.
At the time, Masterson agreed to give Phillips full custody of their daughter, Fianna Francis.
Most recently, Phillip requested to remove his last name from the 11-year-old’s surname last month.
