Danny Masterson was recently written out of the Netflix series The Ranch after it came to light that four women are accusing him of rape. No new charges have been filed against the actor, but Masterson was previously investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department for these accusations in the early 2000s. A recent strange twist in this story came when a Netflix executive involved with children’s programming, Andy Yeatman, accidentally told one of Masterson’s accusers that the company did not believe the alleged victims’ claims. While coaching a kids’ soccer game, an unnamed woman asked Yeatman why Netflix was continuing to employ Masterson (at the time) in spite of the four rape allegations, and Yeatman reportedly told her, “[W]e don’t believe them†— without knowing she was one of his accusers. The Huffington Post broke that story, and now it’s being reported that Yeatman has been fired.
At the time the news came out, Netflix issued a statement saying, “Mr. Yeatman’s comments were careless, uninformed, and do not represent the views of the company. Further, he would have no insights into decision-making on The Ranch. We are aware of the allegations against Danny Masterson and we are following the current investigation, and will respond if developments occur.†The next day Masterson was let go from the show, and now, one week later, Yeatman’s employment has also been terminated with the company confirming to The Hollywood Reporter, “Mr. Yeatman is no longer employed at Netflix.â€
Masterson maintains his innocence, saying in a statement, “From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me.†Yeatman has provided no further comment.