On Wednesday, nearly three years after he was formally charged in Los Angeles, Danny Masterson was found guilty in court of two cases of rape. The actor could face 30 years behind bars. Throughout the case, Masterson’s adherence to the Church of Scientology came up, with four of his accusers alleging that they were stalked and harassed by church affiliates. Former Scientologist-turned-critic Leah Remini even got involved, reacting after a mistrial late last year. She did the same after two of the charges against him ended in guilty verdicts.
The two guilty verdicts in the rape trial of celebrity Scientologist Danny Masterson are a relief.
The women who survived Danny Masterson's predation are heroes. For years, they and their families have faced vicious attacks and harassment from Scientology and Danny's…
— Leah Remini (@LeahRemini) May 31, 2023
“The two guilty verdicts in the rape trial of celebrity Scientologist Danny Masterson are a relief,” Remini wrote on Twitter shortly after the news broke. She called those who “survived” Masterson’s actions “heroes” for having “soldiered on” amidst “vicious attacks and harassment from Scientology and Danny’s well-funded legal team.”
Of the three rape charges that went to trial, only two of them ended in a guilty verdict, namely two women he’s been convicted of raping in his Hollywood Hills home in 2003. A jury could not reach a verdict for a third person: a former girlfriend who accused him of raping her in 2001.
To her, Chrissie Bixler, Remini said, “I know Danny raped you; I know that Scientology tried to destroy you. However, this case would not have moved forward and resulted in two guilty verdicts if it were not for you.”
Remini also had plenty to say about the Church of Scientology. While she admitted they were “not formal defendants,” they did, she claimed, “played a significant role in obstructing justice in this case and other instances of sexual violence.”
She also offered them a stern warning, writing, “This case is just the beginning of our plan to hold them accountable.”
You can read Remini’s full statement below:
The two guilty verdicts in the rape trial of celebrity Scientologist Danny Masterson are a relief,
The women who survived Danny Masterson’s predation are heroes. For years, they and their families have faced vicious attacks and harassment from Scientology and Danny’s well-funded legal team. Nevertheless, they soldiered on, determined to seek justice. While it is up to them to decide whether they are satisfied with this verdict, I am relieved that Danny Masterson is facing some justice after over two decades of brutal sexual violence with no criminal consequences.
To Chrissie Bixler, whose count ended in a hung jury, I know Danny raped you; I know that Scientology tried to destroy you. However, this case would not have moved forward and resulted in two guilty verdicts if it were not for you. I am sorry you didn’t receive a guilty verdict on your charges; you deserved one. But please never forget that justice would not have been served if it were not for you.
Although Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige, were not formal defendants, they played a significant role in obstructing justice in this case and other instances of sexual violence.
Senior Scientology officials, civilian Scientologists, and their proxies have conspired to silence victims and intimidate witnesses for decades.
This case is just the beginning of our plan to hold them accountable.
I speak only for myself when I want to thank Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller, Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson, and their staff for their relentless pursuit of justice for the last six years.
I want to thank Judge Charlaine Olmedo for her professionalism and for not allowing Scientology’s antics to disrupt this trial.
While I am often issuing harsh statements against the LAPD, in this case, I want to thank the LAPD detectives in this case. They faced relentless harassment from Scientology as well and kept moving forward.
Finally, to the jury, thank you for seeing the truth. Thank you for not allowing emotions to get in the way of cold hard facts. Thank you for showing Scientologists (former and current) that justice is not only possible, but that they should come to expect it.
And thank you to all of you who have supported the women who faced hell to fight for justice. Every reply, every retweet, every like…it all mattered.
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