Police are investigating That ’70s Show actor Danny Masterson for sexual assault

US police are investigating claims of sexual assault made against That '70s Show actor Danny Masterson.

Masterson, who played Steven Hyde on That '70s Show from 1998 - 2006, is being investigated by LAPD inflation to three separate cases of sexual assault. The 40-year-old actor married model and singer Bijou Phillips in Tipperary in 2011. The couple, who are both Scientologists, have a three-year-old daughter, Fianna. Yesterday, the Los Angeles Police Department told The Hollywood Reporter that three women have claimed they were sexually assaulted by the star,

"The Los Angeles Police Department Robbery Homicide Division, Sexual Assault Section, is conducting an investigation involving the actor Danny Masterson. Three women have come forward and disclosed that they were sexually assaulted by Masterson during the early 2000's."

The investigation was initially reported by Tony Ortega, a reporter who has spent many years exposing the inner workings of Scientology. According to Ortega, Masterson's alleged victims made their claims after Leah Remini's tv series Scientology and the Aftermath investigated the church. Remini, an actress and outspoken former Scientologist, says that the church goes to great lengths to protect its famous members. A representative of Masterson responded to the allegations with the following statement:

"We are aware of [the alleged victim's] 16-year-old allegations. It was only after [the alleged victim] was in contact with Leah Remini that she made allegations of sexual assault by Mr. Masterson. The alleged incident occurred in the middle of their 6 year relationship, after which she continued to be his longtime girlfriend. Significantly, during their long relationship she made numerous inconsistent claims that she was previously raped by at least 3 other famous actors and musicians. When Danny ended the relationship she continued to pursue him, even making threats to beat up his current wife Bijou Phillips unless she left him. In fact, we are informed by the Church that the only demand [alleged victim's] made of the Church after Danny broke up with her was asking for their help to intervene so the breakup would not be permanent. We are aware also that approximately 14 years ago a woman referred to in the blog made allegations of sexual assault and that the LADP interviewed numerous witnesses and determined the claim had no merit. Based on reading the anti-Scientology blog that posted this story, these false allegations appear to be motivated to boost Leah Remini’s anti-Scientology television series since [alleged victim's] only came forward after connecting with Leah Remini."

Masterson, who is currently acting alongside his former '70s Show co-star, Ashton Kutcher, in the Netflix series The Ranch, has not directly commented on the claims.