‘That ’70s Show’ star Danny Masterson fails to get 3 rape charges tossed, new arraignment set

Danny Masterson, an actor on “That ’70s Show,” failed to get his Los Angeles rape case dismissed Monday and must appear for his arraignment Nov. 2, a judge ruled.

The former sitcom star is accused of forcibly raping three women in separate incidents at his Hollywood Hills home between 2001 and 2003.

His defense filed a demurrer motion that was denied by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Eleanor J. Hunter early Monday, sources confirmed to the Daily News.

FILE - Actor Danny Masterson appears at his arraignment in Los Angeles Superior Court in Los Angeles, Calif. on Friday, Sept. 18. (LUCY NICHOLSON/)

Masterson’s lawyer Thomas Mesereau declined to comment when reached by phone after the hearing.

Mesereau and co-counsel Sharon Appelbaum appeared in court without their famous client Monday and unsuccessfully argued the charged offenses were outside the statute of limitations, Deadline.com reported.

According to prosecutors, Masterson raped the first victim, an unidentified 23-year-old woman, between January and December 2001.

He then allegedly raped a 28-year-old woman in April 2003 and a 23-year-old woman between October and December of the same year, prosecutors said.

If convicted as charged, he faces up to 45 years to life in state prison.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said it declined to file sexual assault charges against Masterson in two other cases due to insufficient evidence and the statute of limitations.

At a prior hearing, Mesereau claimed Masterson is “absolutely not guilty.”

“Mr. Masterson is innocent," Mesereau said in a statement after the charges were first announced in June. "We’re confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify.”

Masterson, 44, played the character Hyde on “That ’70s Show," acting alongside co-stars Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Laura Prepon, Topher Grace and Wilmer Valderrama.

He was sued last year by ex-girlfriends Chrissie Bixler and Marie Riales and two Jane Doe plaintiffs in a civil complaint that alleged sexual assault and harassment.

The women also named the Church of Scientology, of which Masterson is a lifelong member, as a defendant. The women alleged they were the victims of public stalking, home surveillance, hacking, property vandalism, vehicle pursuit, identity theft and threats.

Bixler went on to marry The Mars Volta singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and, in January, the couple accused Masterson and the church of killing two of their dogs with poison.

In a rare statement about the case last year, Masterson called the civil lawsuit “beyond ridiculous" and said he intends to counter-sue anyone “who jumped on the bandwagon for the damage they caused me and my family.”

The actor, who is married to actress and model Bijou Phillips, was fired from the Netflix show “The Ranch” when the allegations first surfaced.