This ‘That ‘70s Show’ Joke Hits Very Differently After Danny Masterson’s Rape Conviction

In what’s now a case of tragic irony, Danny Masterson finds himself facing 30 years to life in prison, 25 years after his That ‘70s Show character Steven Hyde predicted a similar fate for himself. In the 1998 episode “Eric’s Burger Job,” which aired just five episodes into the show’s first season, Hyde is asked during a job interview where he sees himself in five years and he responds “prison.”

While his fellow castmates made guest appearances in Netflix’s sequel to the show, That ‘90s Show, Masterson was in court twice facing multiple accusations of rape from 2001 and 2003. After the 2022 trial ended in a mistrial with jurors “hopelessly deadlocked” and unable to reach a consensus, a new jury saw sufficient credibility to the charges.

On May 31st, the two-week-long retrial saw Masterson convicted of two counts of forcible rape with a third charge, brought by a former longtime girlfriend, deadlocked with an 8 to 4 vote in favor of conviction. In a statement, one of his victim’s said, “I am experiencing a complex array of emotions: relief, exhaustion, strength, sadness, knowing that my abuser, Danny Masterson, will face accountability for his criminal behavior.”