Andrew Tate Indicted for Human Trafficking

Andrew Tate is officially facing charges of human trafficking, rape and more in Romania ... this coming 6 months after the kickboxer-turned-social media influencer's arrest overseas.

According to Romanian prosecutors, Tate, his brother Tristan, and 2 local women were all indicted Tuesday. The Tate brothers, in particular, are also facing charges for allegedly setting up a criminal gang.

The brothers' legal team sounded optimistic in the wake of the indictment, telling local outlet Antena 3 ... they'll "embrace the opportunity to fight in court."

122922-andrew-tate-kal 12/29/22
HAULED IN HANDCUFFS

As we reported, Andrew and Tristan were arrested back in December -- they tried, but failed, to appeal a couple of 30-day extensions that kept them locked up until they finally got released from a Romanian jail in March.

They both were placed under house arrest after their release ... and Andrew's been busy on social media retweeting support from followers since Tuesday's indictment.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Golden Knights Sex Workers Offer Free Orgy ... After Stanley Cup Win

The Vegas Golden Knights could finish their Stanley Cup victory celebration with a bang ... 'cause one Nevada sex worker is offering the champs one helluva party.

Licensed sex worker Alice Little tells TMZ Sports she and her coworkers want to thank the players for bringing home a championship in a very personal way.

Yes. We're talking about sex.

"We here in Sin City love the Golden Knights more than life itself," Little tells us.

"I cannot express in words the joy I feel now the team won their first-ever Stanley Cup, so I’m going to express it through my actions."

061423_golden_knights_kal JUNE 2023
CHAMPAGNE SHOWERS
X/@GoldenKnights

Little -- who claims to be the highest-grossing sex worker in Nevada history -- says she's offering the "most extravagant, orgiastic sex party" the champs will ever experience at the Chicken Ranch brothel's 40-acre campus and VIP Bungalows.

"Dozens of ladies, myself included, are ready and waiting at the Chicken Ranch to treat the Knights to any and every carnal delight, and there will be absolutely no penalties for misconduct," Little says.

"The brothel is all yours boys! Free of charge! It’s on me!"

Little also threw around the idea of creating VIP cards specifically for the VGK ... which will give them year-round complimentary access to the brothels' invite-only events and its "Eyes Wide Shut"-style sex sprees.

This isn't the first time Little has shown love to Vegas athletes ... earlier this year, she and fellow sex worker Caitlin Bell offered "free sex for life" to Jimmy Garoppolo who joined the Raiders in March.

No word on if anyone will take them up on the offer ... but ya gotta appreciate the passion!!

Tom Sandoval Clarifies Ariana T-Shirt Comment ... Blames Boring Sex

tom sandoval car
OUT OF CONTEXT
BACKGRID

Tom Sandoval says he wasn't body-shaming Ariana Madix when he groaned about her leaving her shirt on during sex ... saying his issue was with her lack of passion.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star set the record straight Wednesday, telling paparazzi what he meant by his comment on the reunion show.

061523_tom_sandoval_tshirt_kal 6/7/23
SNIDE REMARKS
Bravo

Remember, Tom caused outrage at the reunion when he dished on one of the couple's last sexual encounters ... "Yeah, she kept her t-shirt on ... it was really hot."

Tom says he was complaining about Ariana being unenthusiastic about sex ... and he compares her wearing a shirt to someone rushing him through sex in order to meet someone for lunch.

While Tom's been getting a lot of flak for the reunion show dig, he says folks who think he was body-shaming Ariana have it twisted.

For her part, Ariana is making money off Tom's comment ... she's marketing a shirt with her face and the phrase "F*** Me In This T-Shirt" that's selling for $34.99.

060723-ariana-madix-raquel-leviss-kal 6/7/23
NO HOLDING BACK
Bravo

Tom also clears the air about Tom Schwartz ... and says he's not going to speak for Raquel Leviss.

We covered all of the 'VPR' drama on a recent episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Bill Cosby Sued Janice Dickinson, Lili Bernard Suing ... He Sexually Assaulted Us

Bill Cosby is being sued for a slew of alleged sexual assaults back in the day ... and his accusers include Janice Dickinson and Lili Bernard.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Janice and Lili are among the nine women accusing Cosby of a series of sexual assaults and batteries from 1979 to 1992 in Nevada.

The women claim some of the alleged incidents took place in Cosby's suite in the same Las Vegas hotel.

Lili, who acted in "The Cosby Show," claims Cosby arranged for her to travel from New York to Nevada in 1990 under the pretense of arranging a meeting with Hollywood producers.

When Lili got to Las Vegas, she claims Cosby told her the producers could not attend the meeting and instead invited her to his hotel suite for a mentoring session ... where she says he encouraged her to quickly drink a beverage that made her feel dizzy, disoriented and giddy.

0_63ynvtgz
AN APOLOGY WON'T DO
TMZ.com

Lili claims the effects of the drink caused her to fall in Cosby's suite and become unconscious ... and when she woke up she claims she was lying naked next to a nude Cosby, who raped her despite her telling him she didn't want to have sex and crying for help.

In the suit, Janice claims Cosby invited her to Lake Tahoe in 1982 under the pretense of discussing a potential role on his TV show. She says they went to dinner, where she complained of menstrual cramps and Cosby in turn gave her a pill he said would help her cramps.

The former model claims she felt woozy, disoriented and dizzy after ingesting the pill ... and she says Cosby took her to his suite and raped her. She says she told him to stop and tried to fight him off to no avail.

Both Lili and Janice say Cosby engaged in sexual acts with them without their consent and against their will, and they say they did not have the mental or physical capacity to consent to or resist any of the sexual acts.

The women say they've suffered emotional distress, embarrassment, mental anguish and humiliation ... and they are going after Cosby for damages.

Cosby's rep, Andrew Wyatt, gave us this statement ... "It's interesting that these 'Look Back Windows' are formulating only in those states (New Jersey, New York, Los Angeles and Nevada) where many of Mr. Cosby’s alleged accusers reside. It makes ALL Americans ask the question, 'Who’s funding these alleged accusers and who’s funding these lawmakers?' Mr. Cosby is a Citizen of these United States but these judges and lawmakers are consistently allowing these civil suits to flood their dockets—knowing that these women are not fighting for victims—but for their addiction to massive amounts of media attention and greed."

Wyatt adds ... "From this day forward, we will not continue to allow these women to parade various accounts of an alleged allegation against Mr. Cosby anymore without vetting them in the court of public opinion and inside of the courtroom."

YK Osiris Accused of Sexual Assault After Grabbing & Kissing Sukihana

061423-sukihana-yk-osiris-kal
UNCOMFORTABLE KISS
VISION IRELAND Instagram / @1990nov

YK Osiris believed he had the right to grab Sukihana and plant an unwanted kiss on her lips, and for that, the internet is letting him have it ... accusing the singer of sexual assault.

The whole thing went down over the weekend at The Crew League event in ATL. Suki's sitting at the host table when Osiris comes up behind her and starts to rub her bare shoulders.

Suki appears uncomfortable -- but then YK ramps it up, grabbing her face and attempting to kiss her. Suki successfully avoids his first attempt, but then he does it again as she yells out ... this time planting one directly on her lips.

After the incident, YK seemingly oblivious to how awkward the whole thing looked, laughs it off -- apparently thinking what he did was funny.

Sukihana appeared stunned as YK walked away, but later tweeted, "I drink to hide that I'm very sensitive. I feel things more then the average person. I stopped drinking yesterday but today I've been crying all day. I asked God to strengthen me and use me to help others and to order my steps in his word. I just want to go away for awhile."

Sources familiar with what went down tell us Suki doesn't even know YK, and they don't have any sort of relationship. We're told Suki didn't want to make a big scene when it happened, and tried to stay professional ... but the whole thing was disturbing to her.

YK has not yet addressed the incident.

Trevor Bauer Blasts Latest Accuser's Claims ... 'Unhinged Allegations'

UPDATE

2:37 PM PT -- Trevor Bauer, through his two agents, said Wednesday afternoon that his latest accuser's accusations against him have no basis in reality whatsoever.

UPDATE

In fact, according to Bauer and his representatives, the woman's claims are nothing more than "unhinged allegations."

UPDATE

"Her claims are untethered to reality and change as often as she changes lawyers," said Bauer's co-agents, Jon Fetterolf and Rachel Luba.

Another woman has reportedly come forward and accused Trevor Bauer of sexual assault ... but the MLB star is denying the claims, alleging she's fabricated her story in an attempt to extort him.

USA Today reports the allegations against Bauer were all made as part of a woman's civil lawsuit against the former Dodgers pitcher that was filed in Arizona last year.

According to the outlet ... the woman claimed in court documents that Bauer held her at knifepoint during one incident in Dec. 2020 -- before he raped her during another encounter two days later.

In the initial incident, the woman -- according to USA Today -- said while she was on Bauer's lap having dinner with him, he "placed his jagged steak knife to my throat."

"I was stunned and did not dare to move," the woman said in court docs, according to the report. "The Defendant asked me, 'Have you ever been held at knife point?' to which I hesitantly respond, 'No.' The Defendant took a deep breath in and exhaled. The Defendant's steak knife scratched my throat as he released me and I got up from his lap."

Later that week, USA Today reports the woman says Bauer choked her unconscious with her hair during sex.

"When I was conscious yet delirious," she reportedly said in a court filing, "I recall being on my back while hearing the Defendant yell unusual sounds/moaning."

The woman allegedly got pregnant during the incident.

USA Today reports the two had one more disturbing encounter in March 2021 ... when the woman alleges Bauer got violent with her.

"Knowing I am pregnant," the woman reportedly said in court docs, "the defendant body slams me on my back on top of my computer breaking the screen before telling me he will no longer be in a relationship with me if I have this baby."

Bauer, however, is adamant he committed no wrongdoing. According to USA Today, he's filed a countersuit against the woman, accusing her of extortion, fraud and faking her pregnancy.

Bauer reportedly said in court filings of his own that he did have one consensual sexual encounter with her in Dec. 2020, but said the condom broke. He alleges the woman then later told him she was pregnant and wanted nearly $2 million from him for an abortion.

According to USA Today, Bauer paid her $8,761 for help with the termination of the pregnancy ... but said she provided no documentation of the abortion, leading the baseball player to believe the woman "fabricated her pregnancy to try to extort him for money."

The outlet reports the woman said in an amended complaint this week she did opt to not have an abortion -- but instead suffered a miscarriage in April 2021.

The woman is reportedly asking for $3.7 million in her suit.

Bauer has previously been publicly accused of sexually assaulting women three other times -- including once by a San Diego woman ... who alleged Bauer choked her unconscious and then had non-consensual anal sex with her during two encounters in 2021.

Bauer was never arrested nor charged over the claims ... but MLB did hit him with a record 324-game suspension for it all that was later reduced to a 194-game ban. The Dodgers eventually cut ties with him following his reinstatement ... leading the pitcher to sign a one-year deal to play for the Yokohama DeNA Baystars in Japan this season.

Originally Published -- 7:52 AM PT

Marvel Star Tenoch Huerta Denies Sexual Assault Allegations

Tenoch Huerta, famous for playing Namor in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," is denying a recent sexual assault allegation against him.

The Marvel star broke his silence Monday after being accused Saturday of sexually assaulting musician María Elena Ríos, who also claimed he was a "sexual predator." Tenoch says her accusation is "false and completely unsubstantiated."

In a statement shared on social media, Tenoch says he could not let Ríos' allegation "go unchallenged any longer" ... he says they dated about a year ago for several months and their relationship was "entirely consensual at all times."

Tenoch says when he was dating Ríos they were in a "loving, warm and mutually supportive relationship" ... but when they split, he claims she "began to misrepresent our interactions both privately and in front of groups of mutual friends."

The actor says he's been working with a legal team to protect his reputation and adds ... "Although I am by no means perfect, I know that these allegations are simply untrue. And while I will always work to improve myself, I need to contest claims that are both false and offensive."

Tenoch ends his statement by saying ... "I am deeply grateful to my family and the people who have supported me and greatly appreciate everyone who is willing to look at the facts and reflect before rushing to an untrue and unjust conclusion."

Scheana Shay Rips Tom & Raquel For Banging At Her Wedding ... My Guests Caught On!!!

060823-scheana-shay-kal
DISGUSTING DETAILS
TMZ.com

Scheana Shay is shaming Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss for heating up their affair while they were in Mexico for her wedding ... claiming other guests picked up on the vibes.

We got the "Vanderpump Rules" star and her husband at LAX on the heels of the reunion show, and our photog asked if there were any surprises that came out of part two.

060823-vanderpump-reuinion-KAL 6/7/23
DEEP IN LOVE
Bravo

Scheana says they knew all the details of Tom and Raquel's scandal ... but tells us it's still pretty "disgusting" how they hooked up behind Ariana Madix's back at her wedding.

Remember ... Raquel revealed she and Tom banged multiple times during Scheana's August wedding in Mexico, which flies in the face of Tom claiming it was just a "one-night stand."

060823-vanderpump-reuinion-intv-KAL
MEXICO MADNESS
Bravo

Scheana says when the cheating scandal broke, wedding guests started reaching out to tell her they noticed something strange going on between Tom and Raquel ... and everyone began connecting the dots.

Raquel and Scheana had their own beef in the wake of the scandal ... and we also asked Scheana if she feels any empathy for Raquel now that she's in a mental health treatment facility.

City Girls Pulling For 'Thugs' on New Song ... Say It's 'Elevated P**** Rap'!!!!

City Girls are looking to make their third studio album the charm ... and they want the project's first single "I Need a Thug" to provide the spark.

On Thursday, Yung Miami and JT began their summer rollout with the song that samples LL Cool J's "I Need Love" and finds the Florida-based duo clamoring for "money, sex and drugs" ... probably because it rhymes with "thug!"

Miami is linked to Diddy IRL, and JT and Lil Uzi Vert have been going strong for years, but if the new record is to be believed, that may change soon!!!

In a new interview, the City Girls explained how they tried their hardest not to deliver anything "corny" but championed the new album as "elevated p***y rap." As for what exactly that term means -- JT says, "It's still p***y rap, like it'll be fun, but much more elevated."

Okay. 🤔

With 2 albums, 1 mixtape and a handful of platinum and gold singles under their Chanel belts, Miami swears the group has ascended to legendary status and JT thinks their reign has been unprecedented.

As she puts it, "It ain't been two bitches to come in, have this personality, and give people the attitude."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Salt-N-Pepa fans may beg to differ, but the City Girls say they're coming full force this summer!!!

Raquel Leviss Blows Up Sandoval's Sex Lies In Post-Reunion Interview

060823-vanderpump-reuinion-intv-KAL
MEXICO MADNESS
Bravo
UPDATE

11:43 AM PT -- A source close to Raquel Leviss tells TMZ ... "Upon the completion of filming the reunion, Raquel entered a voluntary inpatient behavioral health and trauma facility and remains there to date - 68 days and counting."

UPDATE

The source continues ... "She is a young woman that is and has been remorseful for her actions and has apologized repeatedly. Her treatment is helping her learn the basis of her decisions and to grow from her mistakes with the hope of making better choices and becoming a better person. Raquel looks forward to sharing her story with the unfiltered truth when she comes out."

Raquel Leviss kept the drama flowing after the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion finale, admitting Tom Sandoval covered up the worst details of their hookups ... the ones that happened right under Ariana Madix's nose.

Raquel did a one-on-one chat with a 'VPR' producer for a debrief 6 days after the reunion taping, and exposed the fact she and Sandoval had actually slept together multiple times during Scheana Shay's wedding last August in Mexico. Tom had claimed it was just a "one-night stand," so ... yeah, there's that.

042023_tom_sandoval_hot_tub_kal
HEATING UP IN THE HOT TUB
Bravo

She even talked about suggesting to Tom they become a throuple -- Tom, Ariana, and Raquel -- which he quickly said Ariana would NOT be into doing. That's super interesting because Bravo shot a scene during the wedding trip -- which it didn't air until after the affair came out -- showing all 3 of them half-naked in a hot tub and Ariana saying, "We look like a throuple."

She had no idea Raquel and Tom were already banging.

Perhaps the most shocking revelation came when Raquel tearfully admitted bedding Tom at the home he still shares with Ariana. During the reunion, Tom was adamant they never hooked up while Ariana was out of town, attending her grandmother's funeral -- but Raquel says that's exactly what happened.

She added that particular hookup was the one Tom begged her to keep under wraps.

As she sobbed, Raquel said Tom wanted to hold on to that lie, because ... "It’s a really bad look to hook up with someone’s boyfriend in their own house" while Ariana was away at the funeral.

And there's, perhaps, the biggest understatement of the whole damn 'Scandoval.'

As for why she finally came clean, Raquel said, "I just hate lying so much."

Originally Published -- 6:48 AM PT

DJ Paul Oakenfold I DIDN'T MASTURBATE IN FRONT OF MY ASSISTANT ... Lawsuit's a Money Grab!!!

World-class DJ Paul Oakenfold is breaking his silence after a former personal assistant sued him for sexual harassment, claiming he masturbated in front of her ... but, he says it didn't happen.

Paul addressed the allegations Monday on social media, saying ... "Let me be absolutely clear: I categorically deny any and all claims of improper conduct. Respect, integrity, and consent are values I hold dear, and I have always treated everyone with the utmost professionalism."

Oakenfold -- who many consider the godfather of electronic music -- adds ... "It is disheartening to see these baseless accusations, which appear to be nothing more than a calculated attempt to tarnish my reputation and extort money."

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the woman claims Paul exposed himself and masturbated in front of her while she was on the job. She even claims he masturbated in her car and once pleasured himself in front of her 4 times in a single day.

The 24-year-old woman says she took a job at a management company and was assigned to be Paul's personal assistant in October, and she claims he pleasured himself in front of her on her first day ... and on 3 other occasions.

In the docs, the woman says she reported the alleged incidents to her bosses and was told she couldn't resume working if she didn't sign an NDA. She claims she eventually signed the NDA under duress and returned to work but says she was no longer assigned to Paul.

The woman claims she was given fewer hours and was ultimately laid off in March ... and now she's suing Paul and others for unspecified damages.

Paul's rep tells TMZ ... "Although she was not officially employed by him nor did she serve as his full-time assistant, it's important to note that Oakenfold had minimal contact with her, and they barely had any face-to-face interactions. He doesn’t even recall her name."

The rep also tells us Paul hasn't been served the court document.

Paul says he's committed to clearing his name and says he will exhaust all legal options, including a potential countersuit, to "protect my reputation and seek justice."

Sydney Sweeney My Dad Walked Out ... On My Nude 'Euphoria' Scenes!!!

060323_sydney_sweeney_kal
Look away, dad!!!
NBC

Sydney Sweeney's dad apparently couldn't stomach his daughter's explicit scenes in "Euphoria" -- which kinda makes sense ... 'cause she bares it all and then some.

The actress dished to "TODAY" about how her folks took her early work on the hit HBO show ... where she's featured fully nude a number of times, not to mention straight-up sex scenes. As she puts it -- her father, Steven, wasn't up to watch his daughter in that context.

She says, "Yeah, I didn’t prepare my dad at all," going to explain that when her pops and grandad initially watched her in "Euphoria" -- presumably season 1 -- they "turned it off and walked out." Sydney rhetorically asked ... "I mean how do you bring up a conversation?"

It's interesting ... it sounds like Sydney looped her mom in on what she was doing on set, saying Lisa was prepped and knew what was coming -- adding that she'd come to visit her daughter on set regularly. Sydney says with her dad ... they just don't talk about work.

BTW, the way Sydney tells it ... it doesn't sound like her father/grandpa watched her in "Euphoria" ever again after seeing her naked -- but adds, her g-ma is a big fan!

Sydney has talked about her raunchy scenes -- of which she's done several between a few different projects of hers now -- and says she's not afraid to go there as an artist ... arguing that she's willing to do whatever the work requires of her, as long as it serves a purpose.

She has said, though, that pervs and trolls are constantly screengrabbing her nude scenes and tagging her family members -- including young cousins -- and she says that sucks.

In any case, she's skyrocketing as far as star power, quickly growing into one of Hollywood's most coveted on-camera talents -- despite off-camera speed bumps now and then.

Trey Songz Sued For Sexual Assault ... After Exposing Woman's Breast At Pool Party

UPDATE

3:34 PM PT -- Trey's attorney, Michael Freedman, tells TMZ, "This is yet another example of decade-old allegations being repurposed into a federal case to take advantage of California’s constitutionally questionable new look back window. We look forward to vindicating Trey on the merits in court."

Trey Songz has been sued for sexual assault ... this after exposing a woman's breast at a pool party outside a Connecticut casino.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the woman -- who's suing anonymously as a Jane Doe -- is coming after Trey, his production company, record exec Kevin Liles, and Atlantic Records over the 2013 incident.

042022_trey_songz_kal AUGUST 2013
TOUCHY TREY
TMZ.com

TMZ broke the story -- the woman fired off a demand letter to Trey last year, claiming the rapper pulled her breast out of her bikini top without consent, exposing her to the crowd at his "Foxwoods Liquid Sundays with Trey Songz" event ... providing video of the ordeal.

The docs say the multiple defendants should have known about his "sexual proclivities" and are therefore responsible for failing to keep Trey under control during the event.

The woman's attorneys claim she was humiliated and left with long-lasting emotional distress ... adding their client could not stop thinking about it and eventually left her promising career a few months later due to the embarrassment.

In last year's letter, her lawyers claimed his 2021 Vegas sexual assault case -- which was dropped weeks before the demand letter was sent -- triggered Megan to seek justice.

She gave Trey and co. weeks to respond before moving forward with legal action ... and now she's seeking least $10 mil in damages.

We reached out to Trey's rep ... so far, no word back.

Bill Cosby Sued For Alleged 1969 Sexual Assault ... You Drugged Me First!!!

Bill Cosby is being sued for another alleged sexual assault ... a woman says he forced himself on her after giving her two pills that made her feel helpless, but Cosby insists there are holes in her account.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, former Playboy model and noted Cosby accuser Victoria Valentino claims he took advantage of her back in 1969, when she was trying to make it in Hollywood.

Valentino says she first met Cosby in his studio trailer after an audition and told him about the recent death of her 6-year-old son. She says Cosby ran into her at a Los Angeles restaurant later that year, offering to pay for a spa treatment for her and her friend after noticing her crying at the dinner table.

In the docs, VV says Cosby told her and a friend he would treat them to dinner after their spa day ... but she says the dinner meeting turned into a nightmare.

She claims Cosby put pills next to their drinks and told the women the pills would make them feel better, pretending to ingest one himself. She says she and her friend took the pills, and it wasn't long before she was struggling to stay awake.

In her suit, Valentino says she told Cosby she wanted to go home and he escorted her and her friend to a car, offering to drive them home. She says she felt nauseated and dizzy in the backseat as Cosby instead drove them to his office, where she claims a sexual assault occurred.

Valentino says her friend passed out on a couch in Cosby's office and she sat down on another couch and closed her eyes ... and when she opened them she saw Cosby sitting next to her friend, staring with a "predatory intensity" and an erection.

In the docs, VV says she tried to turn Cosby's attention away from her friend and he walked over to her. She says she tried to stand up but her legs wobbled and buckled. She says Cosby sat down next to her, unzipped his pants and forced his penis in her mouth. She says he then stood her up, turned her around and forced his penis into her vagina.

Valentino claims she was incapable of consent because she'd been drugged and was physically helpless ... and in her suit, she mentions how Cosby once admitted during a 2005 deposition in another case to using quaaludes on young women with whom he wanted to have sex.

Valentino says she's suffered severe humiliation, mental anguish, embarrassment, anger, emotional distress and loss of earnings ... and she's going after Cosby for money.

Cosby's rep, Andrew Wyatt, gave us this statement ... "Media needs to vet Victoria Valentino cautiously and carefully -- because she has changed her alleged accounts of sexual abuse at the hands of Mr. Cosby over 10 to 15 times."

It goes on ... "It's unfortunate that the statute of limitations were put in The Constitution to protect victims and those who are accused -- and it seems that our political figures are caving to being click baiters and accumulating likes as opposed to vetting these allegations made by alleged accusers and moving swiftly to create these look back windows -- which are only being created because they incorporate Bill Cosby's name. This is bigger than Bill Cosby. This is a target against every black successful man in America like Lebron James, Will Smith and President Obama."

Danny Masterson Guilty In Rape Retrial

Danny Masterson has just been found guilty by a jury on two of the three rape counts he was facing ... with a deadlock on the third.

The "That '70s Show" actor received the guilty verdict Wednesday in Downtown Los Angeles. He faces up to 30 years to life in prison, and has a sentencing hearing Aug. 4.

As we reported, Masterson's first trial kicked off in October where he pled not guilty ... and the whole thing ended in a mistrial the following month after the jury couldn't come to a decision. Two of 12 jurors voted to convict Masterson on one rape charge, four jurors voted to convict him on a second rape charge and five jurors voted to convict him on the third rape charge.

113022-danny-masterson-kal-v2 11/30/22
LEAVING THE COURT
SplashNews.com

After the mistrial, Masterson's attorney Philip Cohen told us the case was "about nothing other than the credibility of the three accusers and that credibility could only be determined by comparing, contrasting and focusing on the ever-evolving statements given by the women."

His team tried pretty hard to get the case dismissed, but to no avail -- and the retrial started up last month, bringing in Shawn Holley to his defense, known from O.J. Simpson's criminal trial.

You'll recall, Masterson was charged back in 2020  -- with the alleged victims saying the incidents went down between 2001 and 2003, which is smack dab in the middle of his work on the comedy series.

Masterson and co. have profusely denied any rape allegations ... claiming the incidents the Jane Does are referring to were completely consensual.

Armie Hammer No Charges in Alleged L.A. Rape

UPDATE

2:13 PM PT -- Armie Hammer just posted a statement about the decision, writing, "I am very grateful to the District Attorney for conducting a thorough investigation and coming to the conclusion that I have stood by this entire time, that no crime was committed. I look forward to beginning what will be a long, difficult process of putting my life back together now that my name is cleared."

UPDATE

Armie Hammer will not be charged with rape in L.A. County ... as the District Attorney's Office says it could not prove the allegation beyond a reasonable doubt.

As we've reported, this case has dragged on for more than 2 years as police said they were continuing to investigate -- but the D.A. says the case was just too murky, partially because of the "complexity of the relationship" between the accuser and Armie.

Prosecutors also say they couldn't "prove a non-consensual, forcible sexual encounter" had occurred between them.

This has been going on since February 2021 ... when the accuser, Effie Angelova, first reported her allegations to police.

She said they'd been romantically involved since 2017 ... but claimed things turned violent after Hammer forced sex on her during one of their encounters.

Armie, through his attorney Blair Berk, has always denied the allegations.

He's insisted it was a consensual sexual relationship, and they were role-playing in a rape fantasy.

031821_armie_hammer_effie_kal
EFFIE'S EMOTIONAL STATEMENT

In an interview earlier this year, Armie admitted that he'd, perhaps, been emotionally abusive to some past partners ... with whom he'd participated in BDSM sex.

The L.A. County D.A.'s Director of Communications Tiffiny Blacknell says, "Sexual assault cases are often difficult to prove, which is why we assign our most experienced prosecutors to review them. In this case, those prosecutors conducted an extremely thorough review, but determined at this time, there is insufficient evidence to charge Mr. Hammer with a crime."

armie2
OFF THE HOOK

She continues, "We know that it is hard for women to report sexual assault. Even when we cannot move forward with a prosecution, our victim service representatives will be available to those who seek our victim support services."

Originally Published -- 1:23 PM PT