Danny Masterson Net Worth

What Is Danny Masterson's Net Worth and Salary?

Danny Masterson is an American actor, DJ, and convicted criminal who has a net worth of $4 million. Danny Masterson is best known for his role as Steven Hyde on the hit sitcom "That '70s Show." He appeared in all 200 of the show's episodes, which ran from 1998 and 2006. His portrayal of the sarcastic, rebellious teenager became a defining part of the show's ensemble cast and helped make it a pop culture staple of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Prior to that breakout role, Masterson had worked steadily as a child actor and model, appearing in commercials and small television parts throughout the 1980s and early '90s. He also had recurring roles on shows like "Cybill" and appeared in films such as "Beethoven's 2nd" and "Yes Man."

Following the success of "That '70s Show," Masterson continued working in television and film, though with less mainstream visibility. He starred alongside his former co-star Ashton Kutcher in the Netflix sitcom "The Ranch" from 2016 until 2017, when he was written off the series amid sexual assault allegations. Masterson was also active as a DJ under the name DJ Mom Jeans and co-owned several restaurants and bars in Los Angeles.

While his early career was marked by steady work and critical acclaim for his comedic timing, Masterson's professional legacy has been overshadowed by serious criminal charges. In 2020, he was formally charged with raping three women in incidents dating back to the early 2000s. He was convicted on two counts of rape in 2023 and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. The legal proceedings—and his connection to the Church of Scientology, which critics say played a role in shielding him for years—have profoundly altered public perception of both his career and personal life.

Early Life

Daniel Peter Masterson was born on March 13, 1976, in Long Island, New York, and raised in the towns of Garden City and East Williston. He entered the entertainment industry at an early age, beginning as a child model by the time he was four. Throughout the 1980s, he appeared in numerous print campaigns and national commercials, becoming a familiar face in ads for brands such as Kellogg's, Clearasil, and Tang. By the time he was sixteen, Masterson had reportedly appeared in over 100 commercials.

In addition to modeling, he pursued acting and musical theater during his childhood, landing roles in various stage productions. Although he initially showed promise as a singer, his vocal range diminished as he reached adolescence, prompting a shift in focus toward screen acting.

Masterson comes from a family closely tied to the entertainment industry. His younger brother Christopher Masterson is also an actor, best known for playing Francis on the hit sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle." Danny and Christopher have two half-siblings, Jordan and Alanna Masterson, who have also worked as actors, with Alanna earning recognition for her role as Tara Chambler on "The Walking Dead."

Career

Danny Masterson began building his acting resume in the early 1990s with a supporting role in the family comedy "Beethoven's 2nd" (1993). Around the same time, he landed a recurring part on the CBS sitcom "Cybill," playing Zoe's boyfriend Justin over two seasons. Although he was slightly older than most of the actors being considered for "That '70s Show," Masterson auditioned for the role of Steven Hyde and impressed producers so much that they rewrote the character to better match his personality and delivery.

"That '70s Show" premiered in 1998 and became a breakout hit, running for eight seasons through 2006. Masterson appeared in all 200 episodes and became a fan favorite for his portrayal of the laid-back, sarcastic Hyde. The show's success made him a household name and earned him widespread recognition during its run.

Following the end of "That '70s Show," Masterson made guest appearances on shows like "Punk'd" and "MADtv" and had supporting roles in films including "Yes Man" (2008) with Jim Carrey and "The Bridge to Nowhere" (2009), in which he co-starred with his wife, Bijou Phillips. He also played roles in independent films such as "The Brooklyn Heist" and "The Chicago 8," and guest-starred on episodes of "White Collar" and "Haven."

In 2012, he landed a lead role on the TBS sitcom "Men at Work," which ran for three seasons. In 2016, he reunited with Ashton Kutcher to star in the Netflix series "The Ranch." Masterson played Jameson "Rooster" Bennett until 2017, when he was written out of the show following the emergence of sexual assault allegations.

Outside of acting, Masterson was active in the Los Angeles nightlife scene as a DJ under the name DJ Mom Jeans and co-owned several restaurants and bars.

Relationships

Masterson is a dedicated member of the Church of Scientology.

In 2005, he began dating Bijou Phillips, who is also a member of the Church of Scientology. After becoming engaged in 2009, Masterson and Phillips married in 2011. In 2014, they welcomed their first child into the world. Bijou's father, John Phillips, was the lead singer of the Mamas & the Papas. Bijou filed for divorce from Danny in September 2023, the same month he was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted of rape.

Bijou's half-sister, Chynna Phillips, is married to Billy Baldwin. Her other half-sister, Mackenzie Phillips, would later claim that she started doing drugs with her father at the age of 11 AND that she had a sexual relationship with him for years, starting the night before her first marriage, eventually leading to a pregnancy that was aborted.

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Legal Issues

In 2017, four women came forward with sexual assault allegations against Masterson. All four women were Scientologists, and all four claimed Masterson spiked their drinks and then raped them.

Police launched an investigation. Danny denied all the accusations made against him. Following this revelation, Masterson was dropped from "The Ranch," and his talent agency (United Talent Agency) severed all ties with him. More allegations were made, and in 2019, the four original women filed a lawsuit against Danny and the Church of Scientology for stalking and harassment.

These women claimed that they had been chased by Scientologists in cars, harassed, and filmed without permission. One of the four women was Chrissie Carnell Bixler, the wife of the well-known singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala. Cedric claimed that Masterson had raped his wife and that his pets were mysteriously being fed rat poison in rolled-up pieces of raw meat. His implication was that the rat poison meat was placed by members of the Church of Scientology. The details of these allegations are quite disturbing, and they include Danny allegedly drugging women and threatening them with guns.

In June 2020, Masterson was formally charged with raping three women. The first rape allegedly took place in 2001, while the other two allegedly occurred in 2003. These women ranged in age from 23 to 28. This came at the end of a three-year investigation that began in 2017. Danny faces a maximum prison sentence of 45 years if he is convicted. On May 31, 2023, Danny was convicted on two charges of forcible rape. On September 7, 2023, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison, 15 years per conviction.

Real Estate

In 1998, shortly after landing his breakout role on "That '70s Show," Danny Masterson purchased a four-bedroom home in the Hollywood Hills for approximately $560,000. The residence featured a marble and gold-leaf fireplace, multi-terraced landscaping, a pool with a hot tub, and a two-car garage. He sold the property in 2007 for about $1.595 million—nearly tripling his investment.

Later in 2007, Masterson purchased a second, more expansive 4,323-square-foot estate on Hollyridge Drive for approximately $2.995 million. The property had once been owned by rock-and-roll icon Chuck Berry and featured sweeping views and upscale amenities. This house later became entangled in Masterson's legal and financial issues during his rape prosecution. By 2020, he had moved to a home in Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara County, while renting out the Hollyridge property.

Following his arrest in June 2020, Masterson posted a $3.3 million bond, using the Hollyridge Drive home as collateral. During this time, he also filed a series of lawsuits—many of them self-represented—against the Bank of New York Mellon and the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS). Masterson alleged that flawed mortgage paperwork invalidated his loan obligations and sought $5 million in damages. The courts repeatedly dismissed these claims, describing them as legally baseless.

These motions were dismissed time and time again, and one attorney stated:

"Plaintiffs appear to be merely throwing arguments up against the wall with the hope that they can formulate some basis for canceling their mortgage loan without full repayment."

It seems that these lawsuits (many of which Masterson filed personally) were an attempt to keep hold of his property in the face of legal action. In the end, Danny sold this home in December 2021 for $6.2 million after listing it for $7 million several months earlier.

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