- Danny Masterson was found guilty of rape and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison on Thursday.
- "That 70s Show" fans now say Masterson's conviction vindicates his former costar Topher Grace.
After the conclusion of Danny Masterson's rape trial and his sentencing, fans of "That 70s Show" say the guilty verdict vindicates his former costar Topher Grace from rumors he was too "stuck up" to hang out with his cast mates.
For years, rumors swirled around why Grace didn't appear to be close with the rest of the cast, which included Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Laura Prepon, and Wilmer Valderrama, in addition to Masterson.
Grace also departed the show early, a year before the Fox sitcom ended. The actor, who played Eric Forman on the show, returned for a brief cameo in the finale.
Speculation about Grace's tenure on the show resurfaced after Masterson, who played Hyde on the show, was sentenced to 30 years to life on Thursday.
At least three women — all former Scientologists — accused Masterson of rape between 2001 and 2003. The women said that Masterson used his position in the Church of Scientology to silence their accusations.
Grace is now trending on X, formerly known as Twitter. Fans say the case against Masterson absolved Grace from rumors the lead actor thought he was too good for the sitcom.
—Sha Hartley (@shahartley) September 9, 2023
"Topher Grace said I can't stand none of you weirdos and left that 70s show behind him and he was so real for that," one fan wrote in a post that had more than 43,000 likes at the time of writing.
"Today I learned that 'didn't get along with their costars' is another one like, 'difficult to work with' in that it's reserved for people who don't cosign Hollywood toxicity," another wrote. "Topher Grace is sleeping good tonight."
"Finding out Topher Grace was always given shit for not wanting to hang out with the rest of the cast outside of filming is kind of assuring to me that he might actually be a relatively decent person lol," one commentator wrote in another post, which had more than 35,000 likes at the time of writing.
Responding to the post, another wrote that they'd seen discussions on how Grace was portrayed as "pretentious" and "boring" because he didn't party with his castmates.
—Killers of the Flower Mitch (@fleMitchfilm) September 8, 2023
Grace has not publicly commented on Masterson's sentencing, and his representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
However, his wife, Ashley Hinshaw, posted an Instagram story on Friday that appeared to reference the news of Masterson's sentence.
"To every rape victim that is retraumatized by witnessing society debate and focus their attention on what is going to happen to the RAPIST... I see you," she wrote.
Grace's silence comes in contrast to his fellow "That '70s Show" costars Kunis and Kutcher, who wrote individual letters of support of Masterson, legal affairs journalist Meghann Cuniff first reported.
Kutcher and Kunis, who are married, wrote letters praising Masterson's character and asking Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo for leniency when sentencing him.
In his letter, obtained by Cuniff, Kutcher identified himself as an actor, investor, philanthropist, and "most importantly a father" as he wrote admiringly of Masterson's relationship with his 9-year-old daughter, whom he shares with his wife, Bijou Phillips.
"We've traveled around the world together, raised our daughters together and shared countless family moments," Kutcher wrote, adding that Masterson is an "excellent role model."
Kunis also remarked on Masterson's family values, saying his role as a husband and father to his daughter and wife has been "nothing short of extraordinary."
Other prominent figures who wrote letters of support for Masterson included actor and fellow Scientologist Giovanni Ribisi; actor Billy Baldwin, who is married to Masterson's wife's half-sister; and actors Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith, who played Kitty and Red Foreman on "That 70s Show," Cuniff reported.