Leah Rimini of A&E: A two-hour finale of Scientology and Aftermath, which explores sexual harassment allegations against '70s actor and Scientologist Danny Mastro, a two-year moratorium, a LAPD investigation and a detailed After the protest campaign aired last night. From the Church of Scientology.
Huffington Post contributor Yashar Ali reported that the special episode that ended the three-season show comes less than two weeks after the Huffington Post, with four women suing Masterson, the Church of Scientology, and its leader, David Mestaviz Was, on the allegation that he was raped by the Masters. And conspired with the Church to cover it through "stalking" and "illegal and immoral conduct".
One of the four women, Mary Bobbett Rylas, alleged that, while dating Masterson in 2002, he repeatedly drugged her and beat her while unconscious. Another woman, Chris Bixler, who also dated and lived with the Masters in the 90s, claimed that she was often "controlled and violent," regularly insulting her appearance, and once she Did not want to have sex, then dragged her to her bedroom. . The other two women were not named in the complaint.
Masterson, who spoke to Ali through a lawyer, called the trial "beyond ridiculous", similarly, both Masters and the church have denied all allegations of assault, illegal activity and conspiracy. "The church has been steadfast in denying that it never hears any allegations of criminal behavior, especially at the expense of the alleged victim," a spokesperson told Amy Zimmerman of the Daily Beast. "What is being said is utterly untrue." It has nothing to do with religion. This story is being manipulated to advance a larger agenda. The church obeys all laws and cooperates with law enforcement. Any statement or implication to the contrary is false. "
Long delay
The story of Masterson's allegations surfaced in March of 2017, when reporter Tony Ortega published an article on his website, The Underground Bunker, revealing that Masterson was investigating the LAPD for at least three alleged rape cases . The three victims, identified only as Victim A, B and C, were Scientologists, Ortega wrote and recorded pressure from the church to avoid contact with law enforcement and avoiding public statements about the allegations. Later in the story, Musterson was fired from his Netflix series, The Wrench.
Last night's finale was originally scheduled to take place in November of 2017, but was held after Remini and his co-host, Mike Rinder, who met investigators at the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, who expressed concern that The episode would compromise such an investigation. He considered filing charges against Masterson. Remini and A&E both agreed to postpone the episode, but by November of 2017, Ali reported that the LAPD investigation into Masterson's conduct was "unnecessarily halted" despite "overwhelming evidence".
In July of 2018, Zimmerman of The Daily Beast expressed his displeasure at the lack of church action following his alleged victim's accusations, letters from one of the alleged victims to cytology officials, including March and March of January 2004 Received. The letter described how his daughter, identified in Ortega's original article as Victim B, filed a "Knowledge Report," or an internal Scientology document, describing her attack. The letter states that following the report, the church issued a "non-entrapment order". —Advertisement speaks for a kind of probation, the final stage before being kicked out — against Victim B.
"One of the four women, Mary Bobbett Rylas, alleged that, while dating Masterson in 2002, he repeatedly drugged her and assaulted her while unconscious. "
According to Ortega and several victims, the episode was expected to run later on February 18 of this year. (A&E later denied their accounts: "It was misinformation that was circulating, but we never announced that date," a representative told Amy Zimmerman of The Daily Beast). Somehow, Finale was once again stopped after STAND (Scientologist Taking Against Discrimination), a Church of Scientology organization, sent several letters to several leading entertainment executives, including The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger.
The last
The episode opened on several other stories of sexual abuse in the church, including Serge Gill, a former Scientologist who claimed he was abused as a child and then "audited" his abuser. Forced to, or somewhat like talk, a Scientology ritual was organized. Medicine as a teenager. In legal proceedings, the church denied that Gill had been abused or forced into auditing. But her story Joy Chait, a former scientist, was raised in the church and claimed that she was also forced into auditing as a teenager and had similar experiences.
“When I was 13 years old I had to audit a big man. In one of our sessions, he started telling me about the time when he committed the sin of molesting his 5-month-old niece, ”said Chait. "Here a 13-year-old child is asking a 50-year-old man, 'What fingers did you use?' ... very specific questions that we were trained to ask him. "
Both Gill and Chait claim they were unable to report their own misconduct or those who audited due to internal Scientology regulations, discouraging contact with law enforcement. The church has ensured that it complies with all laws regarding mandatory reporting of sexual harassment.
During the second hour, Remini focused on Masterson. In an interview recorded on April 10, 2017, Chris Bissler, one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Masterson, who dated him from 1996 to 2001, went on a dinner with Masterson in the late 90s, a I missed drinking a glass of wine and blackening it out.
“The last thing I remember is to get up from the restaurant to go home. Complete blackout, ”said Bixler. "The next day when I woke up the back of my head, and I felt that I had fallen. I felt that I had been poisoned. I did not know where I was. He was sitting down at his desk… I went downstairs and asked what happened. He was just like Chakali. I said, 'I am in a lot of pain.' I was ripped off I was injured. He started laughing. He said "Oh, I had sex with you last night." I said, 'Was I unconscious?' He said, 'Yes.'
Bixler claimed that he told an ethics officer at the church, who asked him to stop the rape, because they were in a relationship, and he did something worth it. The officer also allegedly told Bixler that if he reported the rape, he could be declared a "repressive person", meaning he would be kicked out of the church. Bixler later reported it to Scientology Chaplain, which echoed the officer's apathy. (The church never denied hearing about Bixler's charge). "My job as his girlfriend was to give myself to him whenever he wanted." "I had to keep it there and take it."
"When we met, I was successful. He was an out-of-work actor. I was a working model. Then he got his first TV show, ”said Bixler. “When I joined, my parents were oppressive people. So, I disconnected from them and lost 20 years with them. When [Masterson] booked his first show, he stopped working on me. I was completely cut off. "
“My job as his girlfriend was to give myself to him whenever he wanted. I had to lie down and take it there. "
As Bixler spoke to Remini, Mary Bobbett Ryall, another plaintiff against Masters, sat in the audience. "She had one of her girlfriends," Riles told Remini. “It was not just a one-night stand or meet-a-bar-type thing. I knew something was wrong with our relationship. It has never happened to me that he is doing this to other girls. "
Rylas claims that she came forward after hearing Bixler's story and recognizing him from her experience. "I thought, there's no way you would know that," said Rylas. "this is my story. This is my life. And so I talked. "
Masterson's LAPD investigation is still ongoing, and investigators told Remini in a statement that they are seeking more information. "Report, report, report," Bixler said in the final minutes of his interview.
Remini said, "Scientology likes to pretend that it is just like every other religion and should be respected like any other religion." "And so far it is the only occupation on the face of the planet that has never done anything wrong, never admitted any wrongdoing in its history."
Is Danny Masterson and his wife Bijou Phillips still together and married?
Danny Masterson and his wife Bijou Phillips are still together and still married, as far as the public knows. The couple went through a lot of scandals in 2017, when they were accused of rape - claims they denied. Ten months later, Masterson was making headlines again when he was fired from the Netflix show The Ranch.
Despite going through a very difficult time together, Masterson and his wife managed to preserve their marriage. Both lead quite private lives and do not post frequently on social media. Actually, the last photo she posted of her husband was on Valentine's Day.
"Happy birthday lady! I love you so much, my two valentines! Previously 'I love you' '05 and our baby '2014 all the same magical days of love,' "Phillips captioned a photo of Masterson and the couple's only daughter, Fianna.