Danny Masterson has reportedly been written out of Netflix’s comedy The Ranch after multiple rape reports against the actor. In a statement Tuesday, a spokesperson for the streaming giant said, “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.”
The news comes days after reports that the company might have been dragging its feet on Masterson’s case, a surprise considering its swift removal of Kevin Spacey from House of Cards just a month ago. This past weekend, a Netflix executive named Andy Yeatman reportedly told a woman the company “doesn’t believe” Masterson’s accusers when he was approached at a kids’ soccer game.
3. Breaking: Netflix has ousted @dannymasterson from "The Ranch" amid multiple rape allegations. For the first time in fifteen years, the four women who say that Masterson raped them feel like they've been heard. https://t.co/nQgyXJOe92
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) December 5, 2017
Masterson’s departure comes amid mounting pressure: Four women have said that the actor raped them. In late November, At the Drive-In frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala tweeted a thread on behalf of his wife Chrissie Carnell Bixler, who claims the former That 70s Show star raped her and that the Church of Scientology is impeding the investigation. The Los Angeles County District Attorney and Los Angeles Police Department are both currently investigating allegations against Masterson.
Part four of The Ranch is still set to premiere on Dec. 15 as scheduled, with additional episodes coming sometime in 2018. Netflix has not yet addressed whether Masterson will be allowed to keep his executive producer credit on the series.