Even though the ensemble of That ’70s Show is getting back together for a spin-off series called That ’90s Show, one big character won’t be making an appearance.
Danny Masterson will not return to his role as Steven Hyde in the new Netflix series after he was arrested in 2020 and charged with the sexual assaults of three women that occurred between 2001 and 2003.
The actor was put on trial for all three accusations in 2022 after entering a not guilty plea in 2021. According to Deadline and the Associated Press, the rape trial against Masterson was declared a mistrial in December 2022 after the jury announced they could not agree on a verdict for any of the three criminal accusations against him.
It was revealed in October 2021, therefore the new series would begin airing twenty years later, in the summer of 1995.
Topher Grace as Eric Forman, Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart, Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso, Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti, and Wilmer Valderrama as Fez all make cameos on the programme, which focuses on the children of the original characters.
That ’90s Show Must Deal With The Absence Of Danny Masterson, But How?
Masterson’s character, Steven Hyde, was a major player on That ’70s Show, but his absence isn’t mentioned in the reboot. Hyde is barely mentioned, if at all, during the entire series. Even while his absence is never addressed, we do get to see what the rest of the gang has been up to since the final episode of That ’70s Show.
Eric Formam and Donna Pinciotti started off the series by moving back into the house in Point Place, Wisconsin, where Eric had spent his childhood.
They came to visit Eric’s parents for the Fourth of July holiday with their only child, Leia (Callie Haverda), but Leia ended up convincing her own parents to let her spend the summer with them.
In the final moments of the first season premiere, we meet Michael Kelso and Jackie Burkhart. We learn that Kelso married his on-again, off-again high school girlfriend Jackie, and that their son Jay (Mace Coronel) is Leia’s new friend.
After returning to the Forman home to pick up their son, the pair announced that they are in the process of “remarrying.”
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Do Any Of Danny Masterson’s Co-Stars On That ’90s Show Talk About The Show Without Him?
Masterson’s co-stars on the original show have been silent about his absence from the new spin-off.
Since That ’70s Program ended its run on television, Kutcher and Masterson have co-starred in a Netflix series called The Ranch (pictured), but Kutcher has remained silent about the claims that led to Masterson’s dismissal from the show in 2017.
Grace did talk about the rumours for a short while in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2018.
To this day, he stands by his original statement: “You know, I hesitate to claim that I never witnessed any of that behaviour because I feel like it seems like I’m protecting him,” but the truth is, he never saw any of that stuff.
“When compared to the rest of that cast, I was the most uninteresting. That’s why I was never invited to any after-show parties because I’m just too boring to go out drinking and dancing after a show.”
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Has Danny Masterson’s Absence On That ’90s Show Been Addressed by Netflix?
Netflix has likewise been silent on the matter of Masterson’s absence. However, in 2017, they issued a statement explaining why he was let go from The Ranch.
“Finally, after consulting with the showrunners, we’ve decided to eliminate Danny Masterson from The Ranch. His last day was yesterday, and we’ll be producing new episodes in 2018 without him “the broadcaster tweeted at the time.
Subsequently, Masterson released his own statement about his dismissal, in which he expressed “extremely disappointment in Netflix’s decision to write [his] character off of The Ranch.”
“Right from the start, I have categorically disputed the baseless allegations made against me. The police looked into these allegations over 15 years ago and found them to be baseless “Masterson said in a statement that was acquired by PEOPLE through his representative.
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He said, “There have been no criminal charges or convictions brought against me. “One is not considered guilty unless they have been found guilty in the United States. However, it appears like you are automatically deemed guilty if you are accused in today’s society.
I get it, and I can’t wait to get this whole thing behind me. Meanwhile, I’d want to thank everyone on the show’s cast and crew, with whom I’ve developed such close professional relationships over the course of the show’s first three seasons.
The best of luck to them, my friends. I’m grateful, too, to the people who have always cheered for me and still do.”
