Danny Masterson has been fired from the Netflix television show The Ranch after rape allegations against the actor from four women resurfaced in recent weeks.
Netflix announced Tuesday that Masterson had been written out of The Ranch and that Monday marked his last day of filming.
“As a result of ongoing discussions, Netflix and the producers have written Danny Masterson out of ′The Ranch.′ Yesterday was his last day on the show, and production will resume in early 2018 without him,” Netflix said in a statement.
Four women have accused Masterson of raping them in the early 2000s, including three of his fellow Scientologists, who have accused the Church of Scientology of covering up the alleged attacks to protect its image. The 41-year-old actor has been under investigation by the LAPD since at least January.
On Monday, the Huffington Post reported one of Masterson’s alleged victims had confronted a Netflix executive about the actor at a children’s soccer game, but that the executive had told her that company officials did not believe the women’s claims. Netflix appeared to confirm the report but called the executive’s comments “careless” and “uninformed.”
The fourth season of The Ranch premieres December 15 on the streaming service, and Masterson is set to appear in episodes he’d already filmed, according to HuffPost. The outlet also reported he could appear in several episodes being released in 2018.
In a statement to TMZ, Masterson said he was “obviously very disappointed” that he had been written off the show.
“From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. Law enforcement investigated these claims more than 15 years ago and determined them to be without merit,” he said.
“I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one,” he added. “In this country you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, in the current climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused.”
Netflix had been criticized over its approach to Masterson’s alleged misconduct after the streaming service cut ties with its House of Cards star Kevin Spacey in November following accusations of attempted rape and sexual assault. Netflix announced Monday that its hit political drama would return for a sixth and final season without Spacey.
Masterson is just the latest in a long list of actors and other prominent figures in Hollywood, politics, and the media to have been accused of sexual misconduct.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum
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