Before Danny Masterson was convicted of raping two women, the Church of Scientology allegedly made attempts to "derail" the former That '70s Show actor's trial. Women that Masterson raped claim that the Church of Scientology harassed a prosecutor working on the case, according to December court filings seen by the Los Angeles Times. Masterson, who is a scientologist, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison on Thursday, September 7, 2023. He was convicted of raping two women in 2003. After he was sentenced, the Church of Scientology allegedly expelled him and labeled him as a "suppressive person."
Though the convicted rapist was reportedly expelled from the Church of Scientology, the Daily Mail reported that "insiders" said the church actually continued to say that Masterson is not guilty.
The December court filings against the Church of Scientology allege that the church used "harassment and intimidation" to interfere with the trial, as per the Los Angeles Times.
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The outlet reported that the filing claims a "prosecutor's home and car windows were broken, the prosecutor's home electronics were tampered with, and Defendants' agents surveilled the prosecutor."
The women who were raped by Masterson were also previously members of the Church of Scientology. During Masterson's trial, Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson said the church stopped the women from coming forward for many years.
“The church taught his victims, ‘Rape isn’t rape, you caused this, and above all, you are never allowed to go to law enforcement,’” Anson said during the trial, reported Associated Press. “In Scientology, the defendant is a celebrity and he is untouchable.”
The church has said it doesn't have a policy that says members can't report other members to the police, the Daily Mail reported.
However, Masterson's accusers have also said that the Church of Scientology should be labeled as a "criminal enterprise."
In a suit initially filed in 2019 and later amended in 2023, the victims said that the Church of Scientology has "a policy of terrorizing victims (and witnesses) of its crimes—whether or not those victims (or witnesses) are Scientologists — into keeping Scientology's crimes secret," reported Daily Mail.
A spokesperson for the Church of Scientology has claimed that people involved in Masterson's trial clearly had an "anti-Scientology bias," the Los Angeles Times reported.
According to the outlet, the organization has denied interfering with the trial and intimidating a prosecutor.
The spokesperson told the outlet that the harassment and intimidation allegations are "categorically false."
"There is zero evidence to support these scandalous allegations — indeed, all available evidence demonstrates the Church had nothing to do with the alleged acts," the spokesperson told the outlet.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault Hotline provides confidential 24/7 support. Call 800-656-HOPE (4673) or chat online at RAINN.
