Danny Masterson, who is on trial for rape and won't appear in 'That '90s Show'

‘That ’90s Show’: Why Danny Masterson Won’t Return in the ‘That ’70s Show’ Spinoff

Find out why you won't see Danny Masterson as Steven Hyde in the 'That '70s Show' spinoff coming in January 2023.

by Lauren Anderson

Published on November 30, 2022

2 min read

‘That ’70s Show’ cast members returning for the Netflix spinoff

Masterson may not appear in That ’90s Show, but most of the original cast from That ’70s Show will. Returning cast members include Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis. They’ll reprise their roles as Michael Kelso and Jackie Burkhart (via Variety).

Topher Grace and Laura Prepon will also reprise their roles as Eric Forman and Donna Pinciotti. They are That ’90s Show‘s lead Leia Forman’s parents. What’s more, Wilmer Valderrama will return as Fez in the spinoff series.

Danny Masterson is on trial for rape

Masterson appeared in every episode of That ’70s Show, but he won’t appear in the reboot series because of rape allegations. After a three-year investigation, the Los Angeles Police Department charged Masterson with raping three women: a 23-year-old between January and December 2001, a 28-year-old in April 2003, and another 23-year-old between October and December 2003.

When these allegations became public in 2017, Masterson’s character was written off of another Netflix series, The Ranch. He will also be noticeably absent from That ’90s Show.

Masterson’s trial began on Oct. 11. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 45 years to life in a California prison.

How ‘That ’90s Show’ connects to ‘That ’70s Show’

That ’70s Show aired for eight seasons on FOX from 1998 to 2006 and was set in the late ‘70s. The original series followed a group of six teenage friends, and the spinoff will do the same, but with a different generation.

Kitty Forman (Debra Jo Rupp) and her granddaughter Leia (Callie Haverda) in the 'That '70s Show' spinoff 'That '90s Show'

Debra Jo Rupp as Kitty Forman, Callie Haverda as Leia Forman | Patrick Wymore/Netflix

Leia Forman (Callie Haverda) is spending the summer with her grandparents. There, she befriends her grandparent’s neighbor, Gwen (Ashley Aufderheide), who becomes the unofficial leader of Point Place’s next generation. Other new characters who will appear in That ’90s Show include:

Nate (Maxwell Donovan): The dumb jock who isn’t actually athletic that reminds us of Kelso.

Jay (Mace Coronel): A charming and flirty type reminiscent of Fez.

Ozzie (Reyn Doi): An insightful and sarcastic young man with a perspective beyond his years, could he be this generation’s Hyde?

Nikki (Sam Morelos): Nikki is focused, smart, driven, and Nate’s girlfriend, making her the Jackie of this generation.

Sherri (Andrea Anders): The single mother of Nate and Gwen, Sherry is warm and breezily blunt and neighbor to Red and Kitty — the female version of Bob Pinciotti (Don Stark).