Netflix Slammed For Taking So Long To Fire Danny Masterson From ‘The Ranch’
Danny Masterson has been fired by Netflix — and not a moment too soon. The Ranch star was let go from the Netflix comedy amid multiple allegations of sexual assault against him, according to the Huffington Post. Four women have alleged that Masterson raped them in the early 2000s. The actor has denied all allegations.
While Danny Masterson’s character, Jameson “Rooster” Bennett, will be written out of The Ranch, the actor revealed that he is “disappointed” by Netflix’s decision. Indeed, at one point, it was leaked that Netflix executives didn’t believe Masterson’s accusers. In a statement about his firing, the former That ’70s Show star revealed that he was cleared of the claims more than 15 years ago and was never charged or convicted of a crime.
“In this country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Masterson said in a statement, according to Time. “However, in the current climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused.”
Danny Masterson starred on The Ranch for two full seasons and played one of the main characters, alongside Sam Elliott and longtime pal Ashton Kutcher.
While his character will now be written out of the third season, Masterson already filmed the first 10 episodes of the upcoming 20-episode third season. Netflix revealed that in 2018 new episodes will be made without Danny Masterson.
After discussing with the producers, we've decided to write Danny Masterson off of The Ranch. Yesterday was his last day of work, and we'll make new episodes in 2018 without him.
— Netflix (@netflix) December 5, 2017
Danny Masterson’s firing from The Ranch has been a long time coming. Indeed, many outraged viewers were shocked at how long it took. While former House of Cards star Kevin Spacey was swiftly canned amid sexual assault allegations, and Louis C.K.’s Netflix stand-up special was canceled amid sex allegations, Netflix took its time in letting Masterson, a high-profile Scientologist, go.
News of Danny Masterson’s firing was met with a combination of triumph and backlash. Writer-editor Courtney Enlow took to Twitter to write, “Netflix has at long last fired Danny Masterson. Don’t thank them–they took nine f***ing months to do it.”
Others were equally unimpressed with Netflix’s slow reaction to the allegations against Masterson.
Finally @netflix takes action. Some small measure of justice for the victims. @yashar latest story Netflix ousts actor Danny Masterson amid rape allegations https://t.co/WBjbReg4N1 via @HuffPostEnt
— Mike Rinder (@MikeRinder) December 5, 2017
First Spacey, now Danny Masterson.
If this keeps up, the only star left on Netflix will be the Stranger Things Shadow Monster.— Erik B (@erikbransteen) December 5, 2017
Like Kevin Spacey before him, there have long been rumors about Danny Masterson’s alleged sexual misconduct. According to a report by AOL, former Scientologist Leah Remini recently interviewed three women who alleged that Masterson raped them between 2001 and 2003. Remini interviewed Danny’s accusers for her A&E series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, but Remini and co-star Mike Rinder were reportedly asked by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office to hold off on airing the episode while they investigated possible charges against Masterson. The interviews with Danny Masterson’s accusers never aired on Remini’s Emmy-winning docu-series, but it’s clear that the actor has been on the radar for some time now.
You can see Danny Masterson in a trailer for The Ranch below. (Warning: Strong language)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbBe2n7YoOA
