Here's How Leah Remini Reacted To The Danny Masterson Charges
Leah Remini has been a critic of Scientology for many years. Following the release of her 2016 docu-series Scientology and the Aftermath — which the Church of Scientology said resulted in "assassination threats against the leader of the Scientology religion," per The New York Post — the former Scientologist has been extremely vocal about calling attention to the controversial group's involvement in court cases.
Remini also has a strong opinion on the church's connection to actor Danny Masterson. According to Page Six, former That 70's Show star Danny Masterson is accused of raping a 23-year-old woman in the winter of 2001; raping a 28-year-old woman in April 2003; and raping another 23-year-old woman in the fall and winter of 2003. All three alleged incidents are reported to have occurred in his Hollywood Hills home in Los Angeles. Masterson is facing up to 45 years in prison if convicted. A trial is scheduled to begin in September 2020. He was arrested on June 17, 2020 (via E! News).
Masterson is a prominent member of the Church of Scientology, which has been involved in legal issues involving Masterson before. Remini believes the church's involvement may signify the start of the downfall of the faith. Let's take a closer look at Masterson's connection to Scientology.
The Church of Scientology is involved in Danny Masterson's stalking lawsuit
According to a January 2020 story in The Hollywood Reporter, four women previously filed a lawsuit against Danny Masterson and the Church of Scientology claiming they "were stalked and harassed after they told the Los Angeles Police Department about sexual assaults." The church reportedly advocated for "religious arbitration" instead of utilizing the U.S. court system.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the church claimed that the women who brought the lawsuit were members of the church who had agreed to "ecclesiastical justice procedures" when they began practicing Scientology. The church's motion states: "Under the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the United States and California Constitutions the Church may establish its own rules governing its relationship with its members exempt from civil law." It also added for clarification: "The Church's ecclesiastical arbitration is a condition of participating in Scientology services. This Court may not interfere with this condition by imposing civil rules for arbitration."
As a former member-turned critic of the church, actress Leah Remini has shared her two cents on the matter.
Leah Remini wants Scientology survivors to be heard
The outcome of Danny Masterson's legal cases remain to be seen, but in the court of public opinion, actress Leah Remini is making her voice heard. In the Season 3 finale of Scientology and the Aftermath, which premiered in August 2019, Remini interviewed some of Masterson's accusers in the stalking case, per the New York Post.
Following the news that Masterson had been charged with rape, Remini tweeted: "Finally, victims are being heard when it comes to Scientology! Praise the lord! This is just the beginning Scientology, your days of getting away with it is coming to an end!"
Scientology has fought back against Remini's claims. In a statement to the New York Post published in August 2019, the church said, in part: "Leah Remini has blood on her hands. Her show's lies, distortions and exhortations to hate and bigotry generated assassination threats against the leader of the Scientology religion, physical attacks on Churches, and the murder of a Scientology religious worker whose throat was slashed by a madman egged on by Remini's horrendous distortions. Perpetrators who were jailed for their crimes named Remini as their inspiration."
Leah Remini has plans for the future of Scientology
Leah Remini's show, Scientology and the Aftermath, ended after three seasons — she hadn't planned for the docuseries to go past two — but the former Scientologist does not plan to stop fighting the church. According to New York Post, Remini wants Scientology to lose its tax-exempt status so "they can stop using the millions of dollars they use each year to follow and harass people and bully them into silence," she said. "Churches have tax-exempt status because you're supposed to be helping and servicing the public."
The actress also alluded to other plans, but she told The Hollywood Reporter that she's not "not dumb enough" to give the church a heads-up.
Countless questions remain about what goes on behind Scientology's heavily secured doors, but the fate of Danny Masterson's cases will surely give spectators a clearer picture.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit RAINN.org for additional resources.