How Lisa Marie Presley Was Connected To The Danny Masterson Trial

Warning: This story includes mentions of rape and sexual assault.

In June 2020, "That 70s Show" actor Danny Masterson was arrested on three counts of rape. According to court documents obtained by E! News, Masterson was accused of raping two 23-year-old women — one in 2001 and another in 2003, and a 28-year-old woman in 2003. The actor and his attorneys denied the claims, and the case went to trial.

According to the New York Post, one of the accusers — named Jane Doe 1 — was close to Lisa Marie Presley. The woman testified that she was in a jacuzzi with Masterson and Presley's boyfriend at the time, Luke Watson, before the sitcom actor sexually assaulted her. "My friend Lisa had someone named Luke who lived and worked with her who was close to Danny ... Luke Watson," Jane Doe 1 claimed.

Furthermore, it was reported that Presley was allegedly asked by Scientology church officials to "smooth things over" and stop Jane Doe 1 from reporting the assault to the police, per Deadline. But it turns out that the singer couldn't "accurately recall" if that happened. Masterson's team argued that because of this, Presley being called to the witness stand wouldn't be relevant due to the story being "too vague." But now, the songwriter's death may impact the outcome of the retrial.

Lisa Marie Presley died in the hospital after suffering from cardiac arrest on January 12, 2023. "It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us," her mother, Priscilla Presley, said in a statement reported by AP News. "She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known."

Because of the singer's death, though, the Danny Masterson trial has reportedly been "dealt a blow." According to the Daily Mail, Presley agreed to be interviewed about allegedly being connected to a witness in the rape case. It was currently being debated on whether or not she would testify. If Presley had the chance to testify, she reportedly would've had to tell only what she remembered, and her alleged apology was not going to be used as evidence.

When it was first reported that Presley was a potential key witness in the Danny Masterson rape case, it was confusing to some. "We didn't really have much information about why Lisa Marie Presley was on the witness list," The Underground Bunker editor Tony Ortega told ABC7. But he mentioned that the singer had "some legal exposure" from being connected to Scientology in some way.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).