Netflix fires actor Danny Masterson amid sexual assault allegations
Los Angeles police investigating multiple allegations of rape by former That '70s Show actor
Netflix has fired Danny Masterson from its comedy series The Ranch amid multiple allegations of sexual assault being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.
"As a result of ongoing discussions, Netflix and the producers have written Danny Masterson out of The Ranch. [Monday] was his last day on the show, and production will resume in early 2018 without him," Netflix said in a statement issued Tuesday.
The LAPD is investigating after multiple women accused the actor of rape.
Through a representative, Masterson has denied allegations.
A Huffington Post article posted Monday detailed a confrontation between one of the accusers and a Netflix executive this past weekend, while an online petition that has gathered close to 40,000 signatures had called the company to fire Masterson, blasting the streaming giant for inconsistency.
Just a few weeks ago, Netflix moved quickly to cut all ties with House of Cards star Kevin Spacey — including dropping a separate Gore Vidal film he produced and starred in — after multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault both in the United States and in the United Kingdom against the Oscar-winning actor came to light.
On Monday, the company announced it would resume production of a shortened, sixth and final season of House of Cards in 2018, with renewed focus on headliner Robin Wright and her onscreen partner — the disgraced Spacey — completely out of the picture.
Perhaps best known for his role opposite Ashton Kutcher on That '70s Show, Masterson will still appear in a batch of previously filmed episodes of The Ranch slated to debut on Netflix on Dec. 15. He also served as an executive producer of the series and had reportedly completed filming on a number of episodes for the show's upcoming third season.