Former That '70s Show star Danny Masterson has been axed from his role on Netflix's The Ranch due to allegations against the star.
The streaming service faced a great deal of backlash recently for allowing Masterson to remain on the show while he had four rape allegations against him, while Kevin Spacey was fired immediately when accused of sexual misconduct.
A petition demanding Netflix cancel The Ranch has gathered nearly 40,000 signatures while recently one of Masterson’s accusers confronted Netflix executive Andy Yeatman in public about the streaming giant’s silence on the matter.
A Netflix spokesperson told TVLine, "As a result of ongoing discussions, Netflix and the producers have written Danny Masterson out of The Ranch. [Monday] was his last day on the show, and production will resume in early 2018 without him."
The show is currently in the middle of production of its third season so Masterson’s character, Jameson “Rooster” Bennett, will continue to appear through the second half of Season 2, which arrives on December 15th. He will also appear in some episodes at the start of season 3 before he is written out.
Masterson has released a statement following the announcement, telling The Huffington Post (via his attorney), "I am obviously very disappointed in Netflix’s decision to write my character off of The Ranch.
"From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. 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 political climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused. I understand and look forward to clearing my name once and for all."
The actor stands accused of raping four women in the early 2000s; the Los Angeles County District Attorney and Los Angeles Police Department are currently investigating the claims, although Leah Remini has some theories on that.