24 x 7 World News

Leah Remini Accuses Scientology Of тАШCovering UpтАЩ Danny MastersonтАЩs Alleged Rapes

0

Leah Remini is once again taking the Church of Scientology to task, posting a lengthy Twitter thread that accuses the organization of тАЬcovering upтАЭ member Danny MastersonтАЩs alleged crimes.

The тАЬKing of QueensтАЭ┬аactor, a former Scientologist, urged her followers to keep a close eye on the trial in which Masterson is facing charges for the alleged sexual assaults of three women in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003.


READ MORE:
Leah Remini Says Leaving Scientology Allowed Her Daughter To тАШThriveтАЩ: She тАШWouldnтАЩt Be The Strong-Minded Kid She Is NowтАЩ

Remini created and co-hosted a hit show about the Scientology, тАЬLeah Remini: Scientology and the AftermathтАЭ, which ran for three seasons on A&E Network. The show told the unheard stories of people who managed to leave the religious organization тАФ many who said they suffered dire and ongoing consequences in the church and beyond.

ReminiтАЩs latest thread revisited many of the themes explored on the show.

тАЬDid you know that if you are a Scientologist, you are forbidden from contacting law enforcement when another Scientologist has committed a crime against you?тАЭ ReminiтАЩs first tweet read. тАЬIf you do, you will be declared a suppressive person and lose your family, friends, and livelihood overnight.тАЭ

Her second tweet directly addressed the Masterson trial, saying itтАЩs тАЬnot getting enough attention on social media.тАЭ

She went on to claim that Scientologists are тАЬcontrolledтАЭ and that the organizationтАЩs policies, which were written by founder L. Ron Hubbard, тАЬcan never be altered and must be interpreted literally, allowing this criminal (organization) to control members and insulate itself from bad PR.тАЭ

She then dove into a multi-part explainer of what happens when someone in the organization accuses another member of a crime, noting that тАЬmostтАЭ of the women who have accused Masterson were at one point Scientologists and first reported their alleged rapes to top ethics officials in the church.

She said that these ethics officials immediately turn around and report what theyтАЩve been told to ScientologyтАЩs leader, David Miscavige.

She said once the reports get to Miscavige, these accusers are essentially abandoned by the organization.

тАЬMost people would be too frightened to move forward if the cost of reporting the rape meant their entire life, from their family to their livelihood, would disappear overnight,тАЭ she continued, calling Scientology a тАЬtotalitarian cult.тАЭ

тАЬThis policy permits Scientologists to do horrific things to protect Scientology and makes Scientologists unreliable witnesses.тАЭ

Remini said sheтАЩs hoping people pay attention to MastersonтАЩs trial, as she believes his lawyer Philip Cohen тАЬis doing everything he can to strip the involvement of Scientology from this trial.тАЭ


READ MORE:
тАШThat тАЩ70s ShowтАЩ Actor Danny Masterson On Trial On 3 Rape Charges

тАЬScientology has obstructed justice in covering up DannyтАЩs crimes,тАЭ she wrote, calling those who came forward to accuse Masterson тАЬcourageousтАЭ due to the repercussions they may face.

Remini claimed that Scientologists who go to law enforcement to report crimes about another Scientologist are declared a тАЬsuppressive personтАЭ and that the organization then gives its members тАЬpermission to do whatever they have to do to destroy your life.тАЭ

This includes the loss of family, friends, and job if you work within the organization, she said.

She said these consequences are dire enough to keep people from reporting crimes such as rape.

She also encouraged people to follow the trial and post about it on social media, especially тАЬif youтАЩre frustrated that Scientology has never been truly held accountable for its crimes.тАЭ

тАЬItтАЩs not just about a Hollywood celebrity,тАЭ she concluded. тАЬItтАЩs about what a multi-billion dollar cult does to cover up horrifying sex crimes.тАЭ

In May of this year, the three women accusing Masterson each took the stand in a preliminary hearing to share the details of their allegations.

After the three-day hearing, which included graphic and emotional testimony, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo determined that the actor would head to trial.


READ MORE:
Elisabeth Moss Addresses Scientology & Leah Remini In Candid Interview: тАШItтАЩs Not Like We Were FriendsтАЩ

The trial began mid-October. The first woman to take the witness stand broke down in tears while testifying that Masterson pushed her face into a pillow in 2003, smothering her to the point where she couldnтАЩt breathe. She also said he choked her and she thought at the time тАЬthat he was going to kill me. That I was going to die.тАЭ

She said she was in and out of consciousness that night after she drank about half a glass of a fruity vodka drink that was given to her by Masterson. She also testified that Masterson pulled out a gun when he heard commotion outside the door.

Masterson, 46, who at the time was a star of the Fox TV sitcom That тАЩ70s show, has pleaded not guilty to the counts of rape.


View link ┬╗

All three of MastersonтАЩs accusers were members of the Church of Scientology at the time they claim the rapes happened, but have since left. Masterson remains a member. Judge Olmedo said before the trial that she would not allow Scientology to become a de facto defendant but would allow limited discussion of it.

Scientology did come up. The woman testified that some of her mutual friends filed so-called тАЬknowledge reportsтАЭ signalling their unhappiness with her after she told them about the initial incident with Masterson, and she was summoned by an ethics officer who forced her to make peace with him and take responsibility.

тАЬYou can never be a victim,тАЭ the woman said. тАЬNo matter what happens, youтАЩre always responsible.тАЭ

Asked if she still feared retaliation from anyone for coming forward about Masterson, she replied тАЬabout half this courtroom.тАЭ


Read more:
Julia Roberts says Martin Luther King Jr. and wife paid hospital bill for her birth

She testified that she signed a non-disclosure agreement with Masterson in 2004, and accepted $400,000 over the course of a year, because the church was going to tar her as a тАЬsuppressive personтАЭ otherwise. She said she had violated the agreement тАЬabout 50 timesтАЭ since signing it.

Last week, another accuser took the stand, saying she was in a relationship with Masterson for approximately six years, beginning in 1997. She said that in 2001 she woke up to find Masterson having sex with her.

тАЬI told him I didnтАЩt want to have sex, and he wouldnтАЩt stop,тАЭ she said, as reported by E! News. He pinned her arms, she continued, making her feel тАЬtrapped тАж I was screaming at him to get off of me.тАЭ


View link ┬╗

She also testified that he was тАЬvery sexually aggressiveтАЭ and that he would often call her тАЬfat.тАЭ She said she would have sex with him despite not wanting to, because otherwise he would become mad at her and refuse to talk to her until she apologized to him.

She said when she reported the alleged assault to a church ethics officer in 2003, she was told not to use the word тАЬrape.тАЭ

тАЬShe explained to me that you canтАЩt rape someone you are in a relationship with,тАЭ the witness said. She said the officer told her she тАЬhad done something to cause it тАж WeтАЩre all responsible for the condition weтАЩre in.тАЭ

Further testimony is expected this week. If convicted, Masterson faces 45 years to life behind bars.

тАФ With files from The Associated Press


View link ┬╗

┬й┬аGlobal News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Leave a Reply