90s Sitcom Stars Accused Of Terrible Crimes

The following article references murder, suicide, substance abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault

Many would probably agree that some wonderful TV shows debuted in the '90s, because that's the decade the world got introduced to Elaine Benes, Cosmo Kramer, George Costanza, and Jerry Seinfeld's character on "Seinfeld." People also got to see a young rapper named Will Smith go from making hit records to being a TV star on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." And if comedy wasn't your thing, you could hightail it over to HBO and be entertained by a bunch of charming gangsters by watching "The Sopranos," while at the same time asking yourself how the writers can make you root for a bunch of sociopaths so easily.

And the list of memorable TV shows from that decade goes on from there, because who could forget about "Friends" and the impact it made when it debuted? Or the loud buzz that developed when series like "Living Single," "Martin," "Mad About You," and "The King of Queens" first hit. But which stars from those shows have gotten themselves into legal trouble and were accused of terrible crimes? We listed some of the celebs from '90s sitcoms who fit that category, described what they were accused of, and how things ended up for them.

From "Jail to Yale." That's how actor Charles S. Dutton described his journey from the Maryland State Penitentiary to one of the most prestigious schools in the United States. In 1967 Dutton — who starred in the '90s sitcom "Roc" — was charged with manslaughter and given a five-year prison sentence. He then got caught with a weapon, which got him three more years. And after having a fight with a guard, eight more years were tacked on to his sentence. So why did the actor get charged for manslaughter in the first place? It all had to do with a street fight and Dutton needing to protect himself.

"My manslaughter conviction came from a fight with a guy who stabbed me seven times," he told the Los Angeles Times in 1990. "I wrestled the knife from him and killed him." The Maryland native also explained how he discovered acting, which came after a friend sent him a copy of playwright Douglas Turner's "Day of Absence." Then after getting paroled, Dutton got his B.A. at Maryland's Towson State University before heading off to Yale's drama department. He spoke about his past criminal life with the Washington Post as well and said although he used drugs in his younger years, his ultimate high came from something else. "I enjoyed knocking the [expletive] out of people," he explained in 2000. "I wasn't a bully. I would have been dead if I had been. But I enjoyed violence."

Amanda Bynes began acting at seven years old and by the time the '90s rolled around she landed two shows, Nickelodeon's "All That" and "The Amanda Show." But after fame increased and she began making a name for herself on the big screen, the actor made headlines after being accused of two separate hit and run incidents in 2012. The first accident occurred on April 6 of that year in Hollywood, California, according to CNN, when the former child star was accused of hitting a police cruiser while drunk.

The second charge came from Bynes allegedly rear-ending another car in Los Angeles in August of 2012, as The Hollywood Reporter laid out. In the latter incident, it's said the "She's the Man" star drove away without waiting for police to arrive and didn't swap her insurance info with the driver of the other vehicle. Then in February 2014, it was reported that Bynes accepted a no-contest plea to reckless driving, which allowed a DUI charge to be dismissed. 

Over the years, it's been reported that Bynes has struggled with mental health. She was also put on a 72-hour involuntary psychiatric hold by California police in 2013, which according to MTV, happened after she started a small fire in the driveway of a stranger in her hometown of Thousand Oaks, California.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

In 2012 Dorjan "Dee Jay" Daniels was staring down a life prison sentence after being arrested for the fatal stabbing of a 26-year-old man named John Joseph Lewis. It happened after a fight broke out at Chitiva's Bar and Grill in Stockton, California, and besides Daniels, two others were arrested with him, Marcus McCliman and Djuane Nunley.

 According to Recordnet.com, all three men were charged with the murder, as well as gang activity. Plus, they were charged with the attempted murder of a woman who was also at the fight. Then in December of 2012, after D.L. Hughley testified for Daniels as a character witness, a jury acquitted the former child actor, and Nunley was also found not guilty. But McCliman received a guilty verdict and was sentenced to 12 years in state prison. 

Daniels spoke about his arrest during an interview with VladTV that was published in February of 2021, while also detailing how he felt when learning of his murder charge. "Honestly, I thought they had the wrong person," he said. "I thought it was just a fight." Hughley also spoke during that interview and talked about standing up for his TV son as a character witness. "I knew no matter what happened, I was walking out of there," the comedian explained. "But I knew if I didn't do it right, I could make the situation worse for him."

The year of 2006 was undoubtedly tragic for the family of Awatef Aboudihaj, a 38-year-old woman who was killed after being struck by Brandy, who rear-ended her vehicle on Los Angeles' 405 freeway that year. According to The Berkshire Eagle, the R&B singer — who starred in the sitcom "Moesha" — failed to stop when her vehicle approached a traffic jam, while going around 65 miles per hour.

She wasn't charged criminally for the incident but was sued by Aboudihaj's family. And in 2007, TMZ reported that the victim's husband, Marquane Hdidou, was furious with Brandy because he allegedly saw her hanging out at nightclubs in photos, not long after his wife's death. Brandy settled out of court with Aboudihaj's two children in 2009, giving them both $300,000, which was detailed by TMZ. Afterward, she settled with Hdidou but the amount wasn't released. She also settled with Aboudiha's parents for an undisclosed amount, then talked about the accident in 2014 on "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" "You never wake up thinking today is the day something like this would happen," Brandy told Oprah Winfrey. "Being involved in something that tragic, I couldn't believe it ... I don't think that's something I could ever get over or ever truly understand."

In March of 2017, Deadline reported that Los Angeles Police were launching an investigation against "That '70s Show" actor Danny Masterson after four women claimed he raped and sexually assaulted them in the early 2000s (via Vanity Fair). He was officially charged in June of 2020 and pleaded not guilty. He was then fired by Netflix as a cast member of "The Ranch," a comedy-drama series that also starred Ashton Kutcher. Masterson has always maintained his innocence, however. The investigation led to a preliminary hearing in May of 2021 to determine if there's enough evidence for him to stand trial. During that hearing, one woman said she was in a relationship with Masterson for five years when he raped her in their Los Angeles area home.

Another woman said a similar act occurred one night after Masterson invited her to go into his hot tub. And a third accuser claimed the actor drugged and raped her in 2003 when she went to his house to pick up a set of keys. The women also said because Masterson is a member of the Church of Scientology, its members harassed them for their claims and discouraged them from going to police, which the church denied. Then after three women testified, a judge said Masterson would have to stand trial and if convicted he could spend 45 years to life in prison, according to People. As of this writing, the case is still ongoing. 

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).