Leah Remini: Danny Masterson's rape charges bad news for Scientology

Jun. 18--The three women whose rape allegations led to prosecutors filing charges Wednesday against TV actor Danny Masterson are former Scientologists, while Masterson has long been known as "a reliable soldier" among the organization's celebrity members, according to a report.

Journalist Tony Ortega, on his Scientology-focused news site the Underground Bunker, wrote that there is "solid evidence" that the Church of Scientology has been "very much involved" in the cases involving the "That '70s Show" star. Reporting from HuffPost and the Daily Beast over the past several years also suggests that the controversial organization knew about the women's allegations and actively tried to discourage them from going to police.

Leah Remini, the actress and former Scientologist, went further in saying that the charges against Masterson, 44, could have serious implications for the church.

In a tweet, Remini wrote, "Finally, victims are being heard when it comes to Scientology! Praise the lord!"

Remini added, "This is just the beginning Scientology, your days of getting away with it is coming to an end! #justice #scientologytheaftermath."

Remini left Scientology in 2013 and detailed her damaging experiences as a member in her 2015 memoir: "Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology." She also hosted an Emmy-winning A&E docuseries dedicated to exposing the church's alleged abuses against members, including financial, physical and emotional abuse. For a 2019 two-hour special episode of her show, "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath," she interviewed two women who accused Masterson of rape.

Masterson has been charged with raping three women -- a 23-year-old, a 28-year-old and another 23-year-old -- in separate incidents occurring between 2001 and 2003.

He was booked into jail Wednesday and released after posting $330,000 in cash towards a $3.3 million bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 18, and he faces up to 45 years in prison.

Masterson's attorney, Tom Mesereau, flatly rejected the charges, saying, "We're confident that he will be exonerated when all the evidence finally comes to light and witnesses have the opportunity to testify. ... The people who know Mr. Masterson know his character and know the allegations to be false."

Masterson has been married to actress Bijou Phillips since 2011. He played rebellious Steven Hyde on "That '70s Show," a period sitcom that aired from 1998 to 2006 on Fox and became one of the network's flagship shows. He also starred alongside his "'70s Show" castmate Ashton Kutcher in the Netflix series "The Ranch." He was ousted from the latter show in December 2017, amid accusations of sexual misconduct.

Ortega said that a total of seven women went to the Los Angeles Police Department to allege being raped by Masterson. In her press release Wednesday, District Attorney Jackie Lacey referred to allegations made by five women, but said her office won't prosecute two of the cases -- one because of insufficient evidence and the other because of the statute of limitations.

Two of Masterson's alleged victims in the rape prosecution never dated Masterson, though the actor has previously tried to argue for his innocence by portraying his accusers as "bitter" ex-girlfriends, Ortega reported.

In an interview with one of the women, Ortega said she gave "a harrowing account" of being attacked by Masterson in 2003, the one and only time she visited him at his house.

A second alleged victim said she reported her alleged April 2003 rape to the church, Ortega reported. The woman said she was attacked during a party at Masterson's house, and he raped her when she was passed out. But the organization tried to discourage her from going to police and charged her about $15,000 for "past-life therapy" to try and convince her that evil things she had done centuries ago explained why she was victimized in this lifetime, Ortega added.

In a HuffPost report, journalist Yashar Ali showed how the woman's case stalled after it was first reported to police in 2004. Ali said the church intervened and submitted more than 50 affidavits from Scientologists who denied the woman's account. In Scientology, reporting another Scientologist to law enforcement is considered a "suppressive act" and can lead to immediate expulsion from the organization, Ali explained.

Mike Rinder, another well-known former Scientologist and critic, agrees that Scientology could face a serious reckoning over the women's allegations, especially if the case focuses on the church's alleged efforts to suppress their abuse charges. For that reason, the church may be wary about distancing itself from Masterson, RInder told Ortega.

"They have to be careful. If they throw him under the bus and alienate him he could cause a lot of trouble for them," Rinder said. "They might want to keep him close so they can keep all their stories straight. There are many, many people who have their fingerprints all over this, as the first place the rapes were reported was to Scientology and they did everything possible to ensure it did not get reported to the authorities. ... They know what a massive can of worms this can open."

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