Leah Remini Slams Scientology After Mistrial in Danny Masterson Rape Case
Following the news that Danny Masterson’s rape trial ended in a mistrial with a deadlocked jury, Leah Remini took to Twitter to slam the Church of Scientology, claiming its practices and policies have stifled the civil process for women to come forward and attempt to get justice. In the lengthy statement, she called Scientology a “criminal enterprise” and alleged that the organization and its leader David Miscavige conspired to cover up the allegations against Masterson and have done so with various other rape cases in the past.
“I want to remind everyone that when you’re a Scientologist, you are strictly forbidden from reporting crimes to civil authorities that other Scientologists commit against you,” Remini, a former Scientologist, wrote. “You are ordered only to report things to internal Scientology authorities. Scientology will completely destroy your life if you dare go to civil authorities, like the LAPD or FBI. Scientology was responsible for reporting these crimes to civil authorities but did no such thing. Instead, it covered them up.”
While Scientology wasn’t on trial in Masterson’s case, it was the most prominent topic throughout the hearings beyond the actual allegations. Masterson is a prominent Scientologist, while the three women attached to the rape charges are all former members of the organization. Multiple Jane Doe accusers told the court that the organization discouraged them from going to the police with their allegations and that doing so could get them labeled as “suppressive persons,” which would call for other Scientologists to shun them. The women also claimed the Church told them they shouldn’t call the alleged incidents “rapes” and that they feared retaliation from Scientologists for testifying.
Masterson denied all claims of wrongdoing and didn’t testify in the trial. He declined to comment following the mistrial declaration on Wednesday. Judge Charlaine Olmedo scheduled a retrial date for March and Remini said she was glad a new date was already on the books, though it isn’t immediately clear whether prosecutors will pursue the retrial.
“My heart breaks for the women who have courageously and tirelessly fought for justice for over five years. For years, they have been targeted and harassed by Scientology and its agents,” Remini wrote. They have also been targeted and harassed by their family members and friends who remained in Scientology,” Remini wrote… To all those fighting Scientology for their crimes and fighting a system that seems to protect all misogynistic, patriarchal, self-protecting abusive institutions, rest, for now, you deserve it. But then please get back to work, the world needs heroes like you.
The Church of Scientology previously told Rolling Stone in a statement that the Jane Doe accusers’ claims against the organization were falsehoods. In a statement released after the mistrial news, the Church reiterated its stance that it did not interfere in any legal proceedings or discourage anyone from reporting a crime. The Church also shot back at Remini, claiming she actually orchestrated the “attack” on the church: “While Remini may not have appeared to testify in this latest trial…make no mistake, her fingerprints were all over the case and we have the evidence demonstrating that she is the one who scripted the DA’s attack on the Church.”
See Remini’s full statement here:
