Conan O'Brien once joked Danny Masterson would be ‘caught soon’ in a clip that has resurfaced since the actor was sent to jail for rape.
The 48-year-old, who is best known for playing the character Steven Hyde on That ’70s Show from 1998 to 2006, had some following in his heyday.
However, Masterson's sickening crimes have now since come to light, and he was sentenced in September last year to 30 years in jail for rape.
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The former Hollywood actor was told by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F Olmedo: “Mr Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s choice and voice. Your actions 20 years ago today were criminal, and that’s why you are here.”
Following his arrest and subsequent charging and prison sentence, a clip from a 2004 appearance on Late Night With Conan O’Brien resurfaced.
The host jokingly warned the actor ‘you will be caught soon’, adding an uncomfortable new element to the interview.
In the clip, the pair are discussing the fact that Masterson doesn’t have a strong Long Island accent, to which he explains it's because he has lived in LA for around 10 years and that the accent ‘just goes away naturally'.
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Then followed the 'you will be caught' part.
Masterson said that his friend Bodhi Elfman ‘always teases’ him about his accent and did an impression of Elfman imitating his accent.
“He says ‘Hi, my name is Danny Masterson, would you like to touch my balls?'” Masterson said, putting a strong Long Island accent on the word ‘balls’.
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O’Brien asked: “So why are you asking people to do that? That’s the more important question.”
"I mean, you got them, you know what I mean? Everybody should grab,” Masterson replied.
O’Brien then told the actor: “I’ve heard about you. And you’ll be caught soon, I know you will.”
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Masterson then agreed by admitting: “I will.”
The clip has been viewed millions of times in the wake of Masterson’s sentencing last year.
After an initial jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of rape in December 2022 and a mistrial was declared, prosecutors retried Masterson last year.
A jury of seven women and five men later found Masterson guilty of two counts in May 2023 after seven days of deliberations.
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Both attacks took place in Masterson’s Hollywood-area home in 2003, at a time he was at the height of his fame.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org
Callum Jones