Danny Masterson, known as Rooster, has just been written out of Netflix’s hit comedy The Ranch. Netflix fired him after four women came out about the assaults that happened in the early 2000’s. Masterson, spoke out and said
“I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one. In this country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty…However, in the current climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused”.
He makes an extremely valid point. He is currently being punished for a crime that he simply has not been found guilty of. This blow is especially hard because it is happening at a moment where society is being incredibly harsh on people accused of sexual assaults. Society has become so angered by sexual assault partly because it feels as though, people have been getting away with the crimes. Most men accused of sexual assault either get off scotch free or endure a slim sentence. This specific topic is difficult to grapple with because technically you are supposed to be innocent until you are charged with a crime, but this is almost impossible when it comes to allegations of rape. We should not badger women that come out against their accusers to see if they are telling the “truth”, but even if we did most of the time it is just a dual of, he said she said. Let’s be honest, many people believe the allegations set before him. But, if we just go by our gut instinct there are sure to be many future problems.
Netflix did the right thing by letting the star go. Whether he did it or not, viewers would stop watching the show and could even discontinue their membership if the company starts being known to stand behind abusers. It was a smart business deal, but one has to wonder if it was the right thing to do.
Danny Masterson: Netflix writes accused actor out of The Ranch
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