What did Danny Masterson say on Late Night With Conan O’Brien? 2004 joke explored as actor is sentenced to 30 years in prison

On Thursday, September 7, Danny Masterson, of That 70s Show fame, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the r*pe of two women in 2003. Both women revealed that the crime occurred in Masterson's home, where the actor drugged them.

Even though Masterson was fighting the case for years, it still shocked many who had grown up watching the actor in That 70s Show. An old clip of Conan O'Brien interviewing Masterson went viral on social media following his arrest. The clip showcased an eery exchange of dialogue between the two, which included Conan saying that Masterson would be caught soon.

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"You'll be caught soon": Conan O'Brien to Danny Masterson

Way before the allegations against Danny Masterson had come to the surface, the actor appeared on Conan'O'Brien's talk show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, as a guest on December 22, 2004. This was when the actor was at the peak of his popularity. That 70s Show, in which the actor portrayed the much-loved character Steven Hyde, was in its 7th and second-to-last season.

The interview started off fine, with Conan and Masterson talking about the actor's sideburns, celebrity basketball, and the Boston Red Sox before Conan pointed out the actor's distinct lack of a Long Island accent despite growing up in the area. The actor remarked that the accent goes away naturally and that there were certain words that nothing could be done about.

The actor gave an example:

"Like my friend Bodhi Elfman, he always teases me and he says, 'Hi, my name is Danny Masterson. Would you like to touch my balls?'"

Conan replied to bouts of audience laughter:

"So why are you asking people to do that? That’s the more important question…Accent aside."

Masterson replied:

"I mean, you got ’em, you know what I mean? Everybody should grab 'em

Conan laughed at the bit, but just before shaking his hand and ending the segment, he told the actor, in a more stable tone:

"I've heard about you, and you'll be caught soon. I know you will."

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"I lost everything": Danny Masterson's victim

September 7, 2023, spelled the end of the line for actor Danny Masterson after a jury found the actor guilty of two counts of r*pe. A Judge sentenced him to the maximum allowable sentence by law of 30 years to life. Another allegation was also made that Masterson had r*ped his long-time girlfriend, but the jury could not reach a verdict on this count.

According to the testimonies of both victims, they were drugged and r*ped at Masterson's Hollywood-are house in 2003. All three of his victims, confirmed and alleged, were members of the church of Scientology, of which Masterson was a prominent member. The victims alleged that Masterson's influence in the church played a huge role in them not approaching the police earlier.

One victim even said that she was blackballed from the church for approaching the police in 2004.

"I lost everything. I lost my religion. I lost my ability to contact anyone I’d known or loved my entire life," she said, adding, "I didn’t exist outside the Scientology world. I had to start my life all over at 29. It seemed the world I knew didn’t want me to live."

Danny Masterson and his wife, Bijou Phillips, whom he married in 2011 (Image via Instagram/@dannymasterson)

During the trial, one of his victims called the actor "pathetic, disturbed, and completely violent" before stating that the world was a better place without him.

"When you r*ped me, you stole from me," the woman said, adding, "That’s what r*pe is, a theft of the spirit."

The other victim said she regretted not reporting Danny Masterson to the police earlier. She revealed that Masterson had not shown any remorse for the pain and suffering that he had caused. She also stressed that the actor should remain behind bars for the safety of all the women he had come in contact with.

However, Masterson's lawyer, Shawn Holley, said in a statement after the trial that the actor was not guilty of the charges for which he was convicted. She pointed out that a team of lawyers had identified "evidentiary and constitutional issues" with the charges and was positive about the result being overturned.

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