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At the end of May, Danny Masterson was convicted of two out of three counts of rape. In early August Leah Remini sued Scientology over the harassment, defamation, and psychological torture she was subjected to while a member. By the end of August Remini had to file an amended complaint over the further harassment COS had inflicted since her previous court filing. Then a few weeks ago Masterson was sentenced to 30 years for his two rape convictions. And now this, an LA Superior Court judge has lifted a stay on a harassment case filed by three Jane Does in 2019. A trial will now proceed with both Scientology and Masterson as defendants:
Right now, Masterson and the David Miscavige-led Church are set to go to trial on September 22, 2025. In case you are wondering, court backlogs and an expected flood of discovery filings are among several reasons the trial won’t start for nearly two years.
With that in mind, and the indication the currently incarcerated Masterson intends to appeal his rape convictions, Judge Kalra pointed out that if the likely to be long process in the criminal case reopens, discovery in the civil case will be delayed — which means the plaintiffs could literally run out of time under the statute of limitations.
All three Jane Does in the civil case, in which Scientology tried unsuccessfully last year to get the Supreme Court to intervene in, are former members of the Church. In their complaint back in 2019, the plaintiffs claimed they were put under surveillance by the Church, repeatedly harassed and had pets slaughtered after going to the LAPD with their claims against the actor. Delivering harrowing victims statements in court, the trio also were participants in the criminal case against Masterson, which saw him convicted on May 31 and sentenced on September 7.
Scientology did not respond to Deadline’s request for comment on the trial date today. Yet, as a joint status report from Monday displays, the Church did not want the stay lifted.
“The Church Defendants maintain that the current stay should continue because it is unclear whether Plaintiffs are filing an amended complaint,” the September 25 filing stated. “At the meet and confer, the Church Defendants asked Plaintiffs if they were intending to file an amended complaint, and Plaintiffs responded that they are contemplating an amendment and would notify all parties on September 24, 2023, if they were doing so. The discovery stay should be continued if an amendment is forthcoming so that the parties know of the current allegations when propounding and responding to discovery.”
Frequently mentioned in Masterson’s criminal trials that saw the prominent Scientologist found guilty of two acts of rape, the Church was not a defendant in that case. However, Scientology is a defendant in Leah Remini’s August 3-filed harassment lawsuit. On August 30, the Scientology and the Aftermath co-host filed an amended complaint claiming the alleged harassment had ramped up since the initial suit was put in the court docket. Slammed by the Church as “a horrible person” and a hate-speech-spewing “bigot” for her suit, former prominent Scientologist Remini also is seeking an injunction against the Church.
Since the Jane Doe civil case was filed, Scientology has insisted that the matter of the harassment and surveillance accusations had no place in the courts. The notoriously publicity-shy Church declared that, due to paperwork the plaintiffs had signed as members of Scientology, such issues had to be dealt with behind closed doors in “religious arbitration.”
Those women stated that the harassment included their pets being slaughtered, was in 2019 and nothing happened! These people are thugs. I want David Miscavige sentenced to prison with hours of menial labor. And I want their tax exemption status revoked, ffs. Please let this momentum continue against COS. Hopefully their penchant for committing blatant crimes against their accusers, not to mention the well-documented harassment, will hasten their downfall. Sidenote, the way they verbally lash out against Leah Remini is awful, but also so hilariously obvious. “She’s a hate-speech-spewing bigot who should shut up or emigrate to Russia where they don’t have free speech!” I’m getting total Lucille Bluth vibes, like back in the Arrested Development pilot with her complaint about gay people: “Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!”
WTF. Their pets were slaughtered and yet nothing was done? I just can’t even imagine. For me and my dog… he’s a family member.
I, too, hope the momentum continues. I hope more serve jail time.
I hope Leah and her family have really tight security. CoS is so dangerous.
I don’t know if they have security. But they have cameras constantly rolling. Showing who is around them at all times. Plus now if anything happened to her at all you know everybody would look at the church.
I would go John Wick on someone if they harmed/killed my cat.
Numerous dogs. Rat poison wrapped in meat was found hidden around the property of one of Danny’s victims, so the poor pups also died a painful death.
What these victims of Masterson have been through is truly, truly heartbreaking.
Good, I hope Jane Does 3 and others get justice and money they deserve for what Co$ did to them.
Your wig needs some attention, Davie.
😂 oh man, his “hair” caught my attention too; seems to me Mr Miscavige is obsessive about his hair, the way I thought the NXVM guy was too
I wish the Plaintiffs justice, or something resembling it, but I fear with Masterson’s likely appeal that they will run out of time and never see their day in court. I wonder if this played any part in Leah Remini filing her own claim? Or at least made her more determined?
I’ve been reading about $cientology for years – and they have been known to murder dogs of investigating journalists, etc.- for as long as i have read about them.
And i just want to find john travolta and be like- i know they protect your secrets and have blackmail material on you- but 1) no one cares about your secret and 2) THEY MURDER DOGS.
His likeable image to me is GONE. $cientology is evil and those who support it- i cannot be like- well i really like elizabeth moss’ work. Nope.
Not even the great juliette lewis.
They are all garbage.
They love being $cientologists b/c celebrities in $cientology get to break all the cult rules and do *almost* what they want- and the cult treats them like Jesus (see creepy tom cruise)
So they are worshiped and adored- that is the secret to why they stay- they love the adoration- no matter the cost to other people.
Also, probably the auditing blackmail material is a factor too.
@ariel
I did a deep dive into the cult of Scientology ever since I watched HBO’s Going Clear – but I never heard of them killing dogs of the people they harass or investigating journalists!!!! I have no words…those people are utterly revolting and so is anyone who turns a blind eye to it – Tom fucking Cruise, looking at you, and as you mentioned, John Travolta!
If it makes you feel better: about a year ago Juliette Lewis told the NYT and Washington Post that she is not a Scientologist. (Thank gawd, she’s great.) I don’t know if she’d actually speak out — I read her mom and sis are still in it. Who knows, maybe it was just to distance herself from the stink of Scientology. But apparently even the small statements she made would have upset the cult officials. I think you can safely watch Yellowjackets.
I really don’t think Juliette Lewis has left Scientology. She says things about being a “spiritualist” or that Scientologists can be more than 1 religion. It’s all bullshtt so she doesn’t have to talk about Scientology. You have to wonder about a “religion” where “parishioners” are taught to lie about their faith. I would bet a lot of money Juliette is still in and is as militant as ever. In fact, those who talk about and report on Scientology regularly say she is still in. She and her family are as deep in as the Masterson’s and the Ribisis.
Yep.
Juliette is still knee-deep into Scientology.
Leah Remini did a good documentary series about scientology in 2016 with concrete proofs and nothing ever came of it.
“religious arbitration” such pure bullshit. I hate the kid glove treatment that superstitious cults enjoy-Catholic Church, Scientology, etc. etc.
The Lucille Bluth quote is seriously one of my favorite things, though
Yeah, there needs to be better legislation so you can go after cults. CoS and Trumpism and certain organized religion definitely use brainwashing and get away with illegal and questionable practices.
Tony Ortega had an article some time ago about how Laura Prepon had been someone who harassed the Masterson victims. It is interesting that when the Danny Masterson trial was about to get going, she moved to NY and (quietly) “left” Scientology. Don’t forget her husband was big friends with the Mastersons. It’s not all a coincidence. They know they could be subpoenaed.
Let’s not forget that David Miscavige is still MIA trying to evade a child trafficking suit. Three women were basically trafficked into Co$ as children and the abuse they suffered as a result is horrific. They’ve been stalked, harassed and threatened by Co$ goons since they brought the lawsuit against Miscavige. This cult has to be shut down.
Also his wife hasn’t been seen in years.
Yup. Apparently Shelly is being held in some high-security Co$ compound deep in the woods in Lake Arrowhead, CA. Last sighting of her was some 7 years ago near the compound. She was with a couple of *minders* and she looked thin and disheveled. Honestly when is this nightmare of a cult going to be brought down.
Miscavige is a frightening guy. I hope they bring down this abominable cult.