Comic-Con: ‘That 70s Show’ Activation Removes Former Cast Member Danny Masterson
This year’s San Diego Comic-Con treated fans to an activation based on the classic 90s sitcom, That 70s Show. Unfortunately, the exhibit will be without one major cast member’s character.
According to Deadline, Danny Masterson (Dracula 2000), who played Steven Hyde in the Fox comedy series, was removed from the event’s main display. Masterson starred on the show for all eight seasons. Entertainment Weekly posted about his absence on Instagram.
Other than a quick appearance in a video, Masterson’s Steven is nowhere to be found in the exhibit, via Deadline. Masterson was recently found guilty of two counts of forcible rape in a retrial of charges that stemmed from incidents that allegedly occurred between 2000 and 2003. Three women came forward with accusations against the actor in 2017, which prompted his swift removal from the Netflix series, The Ranch. A fourth accuser would also come forward with allegations of sexual assault against the actor.
In addition to the criminal charges, the women also sought a civil suit against the Church of Scientology. As former members, they alleged the institution allegedly discouraged them from reporting the alleged attacks to law enforcement, pushing them out of the congregation. They also alleged that once they reported the attacks to the police, the Church allegedly retaliated with alleged harassment and alleged intimidation.
The first trial began in 2022 but was declared a mistrial as the jury could not come to a unanimous verdict on any of the three charges. Now convicted, Masterson faces up to 30 years in prison.
Deadline reports the activation was in tow to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary. The iconic series followed a group of teenage friends in 1970s Wisconsin and began the careers of then-unknown actors Topher Grace (Home Economics), Laurea Prepon (Orange Is the New Black), Ashton Kutcher (The Ranch), Mila Kunis (Luckiest Girl Alive), and Wilmer Valderrama (NCIS). The series also starred Kurtwood Smith (Resurrection), Debra Jo Rupp (WandaVision), and the late Lisa Robin Kelly (Jawbreaker). Smith and Rupp recently reprised their roles for the Netflix sequel series, That 90s Show.
A Comic-Con panel was scheduled for Saturday but has been canceled due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, via Deadline.
