How Does That '90s Show Explain Danny Masterson's Absence? What to Know

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The cast of That '70s Show is reuniting for a new spin-off series titled That '90s Show, but one major character won't be featured.

After being charged in 2020 with forcibly raping three women in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003, Danny Masterson will not reprise his role as Steven Hyde on the new Netflix series.

The actor pleaded not guilty to all three charges in January 2021 and stood trial the following year. In December 2022, the rape trial was declared a mistrial after the jury said they were unable to reach a verdict on any of the three criminal charges Masterson faced, according to Deadline and the Associated Press.

The new series, which was first announced in October 2021, takes place two decades after the original series during the summer of 1995.

As the show largely centers around the teenage kids of the original characters, several That '70s Show stars make guest appearances, including Topher Grace as Eric Forman, Mila Kunis as Jackie Burkhart, Ashton Kutcher as Michael Kelso, Laura Prepon as Donna Pinciotti and Wilmer Valderrama as Fez.

Following the show's debut on Netflix, here's what to know about Masterson's absence.

How does That '90s Show address Danny Masterson's absence?

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Despite being a main character on That '70s Show, the absence of Masterson's character Steven Hyde isn't addressed on the new show. In fact, there is no mention of Hyde at all on the series. Though the show doesn't explain his absence, it does reveal what the rest of the characters have been doing since the That '70s Show finale.

In the premiere episode, Eric Formam and Donna Pinciotti returned to the home in Point Place, Wisconsin, where Eric grew up. The two arrived with their only daughter Leia (Callie Haverda) to spend the Fourth of July weekend with Eric's parents, but Leia later convinced her own parents to let her stay the summer.

Michael Kelso and Jackie Burkhart appear towards the end of the season one premiere, as audiences learn that Leia's new friend Jay (Mace Coronel) is the son of Kelso, who married his on-and-off-again high school girlfriend Jackie. The couple returned to the Forman residence to pick up their son, revealing that they are getting "remarried."

Have Danny Masterson's costars commented about his absence on That '90s Show?

Greg Gayne/Netflix

In the years since That '70s Show went off the air, Kutcher had shared the screen with Masterson on Netflix's The Ranch series (pictured) but didn't publicly comment on the allegations against Masterson when he was fired from the show in 2017.

However, during an interview with Esquire published on Jan. 31, 2023, Kutcher briefly talked about his former costar and the allegations made against him. While the publication noted that Kutcher and Masterson "remain in touch," Kutcher is also "an advocate for those who've been or are being abused."

"I wholesale feel for anybody who feels like they were violated in any way," the actor told Esquire. Kutcher added that his hope is that Masterson is actually innocent of the charges brought against him.

"Ultimately, I can't know," Kutcher added. "I'm not the judge. I'm not the jury. I'm not the DA. I'm not the victim. And I'm not the accused. And so, in that case, I don't have a space to comment. I just don't know."

Grace previously addressed the allegations during a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "You know, I hesitate to say that I never saw any of that behavior because I feel like it sounds like I'm defending him, but the truth is I never saw any of that stuff," he said at the time. "I was, of that cast, the most boring. So when it came to going out after the show and partying, I just was boring."

Has Netflix commented on Danny Masterson's absence on That '90s Show?

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Netflix also hasn't made an official statement about Masterson's absence on the show. However, they did release a statement about his firing from The Ranch in 2017.

"After discussing with the producers, we've decided to write Danny Masterson off of The Ranch. Yesterday was his last day of work, and we'll make new episodes in 2018 without him," the streamer wrote on Twitter at the time.

Masterson later shared his own statement about his firing, noting he was "very disappointed in Netflix's decision to write [his] character off of The Ranch."

"From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. Law enforcement investigated these claims more than 15 years ago and determined them to be without merit," Masterson said in a statement via his rep obtained by PEOPLE.

He continued, "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. I understand and look forward to clearing my name once and for all. In the meantime, I want to express my gratitude to the cast and crew that I've worked so closely with over the past three seasons. I wish them nothing but success. I am also so thankful to the fans that have supported me and continue to do so."