That ’70s Show Cuts OG Character From 25th Anniversary At SDCC
That 70s Show's 25th-anniversary activation has kicked off at San Diego Comic-Con, but one of the show's original actors isn't represented.
A That ’70s Show activation at the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con noticeably excluded one of the show’s original actors, Danny Masterson. Masterson was part of That ’70s Show‘s main cast and appeared in every episode as Steven Hyde, the best friend of Eric Forman (Topher Grace). However, after his stint on the show, sexual assault allegations arose against Masterson in 2017. He was ultimately charged with three counts of rape and found guilty on two of the three counts last month. Masterson currently faces up to three decades in prison following his guilty verdict.
As reported by EW, Masterson was cut from That ’70s Show‘s anniversary activation at SDCC.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the show, the convention featured a video display and life-size photos of That ’70s Show‘s cast. Masterson was not included in any of the life-size cutouts of the cast and was not featured prominently in the video display. Aside from being spotted in the background of the video and his “Hello, Wisconsin” phrase being heard, Masterson was excluded from the anniversary celebration.
That 70s Show Has Distanced Itself From Danny Masterson
This isn’t the first time That ’70s Show has tried to distance itself from Masterson. Hollywood, as a whole, has denied Masterson a platform since the rape allegations surfaced. When that happened, Masterson was starring in The Ranch alongside his former That ’70s Show co-star, Ashton Kutcher. However, during the investigation, he was fired from the Netflix series and written off the show.
Recently, Netflix launched a That ’70s Show spin-off series called That ’90s Show. It features the children of That ’70s Show‘s major characters, with a special focus on Eric and Donna’s (Laura Prepon) daughter, Leia (Callie Haverda). That ’90s Show also brought back Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith in the lead roles of Kitty and Red Forman and welcomed back nearly every major original cast member. Masterson’s Hyde was the only original character to not appear in the spin-off series, and was not mentioned or spotted in throwback clips of the original show.
The majority of the cast and crew of That ’70s Show have not publicly commented on Masterson’s trial and guilty verdict. However, this may have been because the investigation and trial were ongoing until recently. He wasn’t arrested and charged until 2020, and then Masterson’s first trial ended in a mistrial. Given that he has now officially been declared guilty on two counts of rape and is facing decades in prison for his crimes, though, it is likely That ’70s Show will continue to take a more direct approach in preventing the show’s legacy from unwittingly highlighting Masterson.
