Netflix cuts ties with The Ranch star Danny Masterson amid rape allegations

Netflix is ending its relationship with The Ranch star Danny Masterson amid rape allegations against the actor, the streaming service announced Tuesday.

“As a result of ongoing discussions, Netflix and the producers have written Danny Masterson out of The Ranch,” a Netflix spokesperson said. “Yesterday was his last day on the show, and production will resume in early 2018 without him.”

Masterson responded to the news in a statement provided to EW by his representative:

“I am obviously very disappointed in Netflix’s decision to write my 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. 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.”

This past March, three women told the Los Angeles police department that Masterson sexually assaulted them in the early 2000s, PEOPLE reported. Masterson denied the allegations.

Netflix’s decision to cut ties with Masterson comes in the wake of the Huffington Post publishing a story Monday about one of Masterson’s alleged victims having a conversation this past weekend with a Netflix executive about their decision to keep Masterson on The Ranch: According to HuffPo, the executive, Andy Yeatman, told the woman they didn’t believe the alleged victims, after which she revealed she was one of them.

The streaming service responded to this in a statement calling Yeatman’s remarks “careless, uninformed, and do not represent the views of the company.” “We are aware of the allegations against Danny Masterson,” the statement continued, “and we are following the current investigation, and will respond if developments occur.”

Part 4 of The Ranch, which includes Masterson,is set to debut Dec. 15. The actor also appears in season 2 of Netflix series Easy, which premiered Dec. 1.