Yahoo Entertainment Leah Remini calls Danny Masterson conviction, sentence "indictments against Scientology"
Leah Remini; Danny Masterson
On Thursday, That ’70s Show alum Danny Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison after being convicted on two counts of forcible rape. His trial became not only a referendum on his own actions, but also on the culture of the Church of Scientology, as Masteron’s accusers claimed that the organization suppressed their stories to protect him. Anti-Scientology advocate Leah Remini became involved in the case, interviewing some of the survivors on her show Scientology And The Aftermath and ultimately becoming a scapegoat for Masterson’s legal team.
On Thursday afternoon, the King Of Queens star released a statement on the sentencing, writing on social media, “Sitting in court today with the women who survived Danny Masterson’s predation was a surreal experience.” She accused Scientology of obstructing justice for its members, writing, “For over two decades, Danny Masterson avoided accountability for his crimes. While Danny was the only one sentenced, his conviction and sentence are indictments against Scientology, its operatives, and its criminal leader, David Miscavige.”
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Masterson has maintained his innocence of the charges, and according to the Associated Press, his attorneys plan to appeal the decision. “Mr. Masterson did not commit the crimes for which he was convicted,” his lawyer Shawn Holley said in a statement following the sentencing. She claimed there were “a number of significant evidentiary and constitutional issues” with the convictions and believes they will be overturned, per the AP.
Niesha Trout, one of the women who accused Masterson of assault, said the Church of Scientology was Masterson’s “enabler and protector” in a statement given at the sentencing hearing, per journalist Meghann Cuniff’s Legal Affairs And Trials newsletter. She described herself as a “brain-washed member” of the organization and claimed the Church knew Masterson “had been raping its members but made concerted efforts to not only punish the victims” but also to cover up his crimes.
The Church of Scientology has denied these accusations, saying in a previous statement that “Church policy explicitly demands Scientologists abide by all laws of the land. All allegations to the contrary are totally FALSE.” Meanwhile, Scientology is not the only one who stands accused of protecting Masterson; after the hearing, Trout said on X/Twitter that “post Danny Masterson’s conviction & after they read all of the gruesome sworn-under-oath testimony of 5 of Danny’s victims, Ashton Kutcher & Mila Kunis submitted letters to the judge asking her for leniency on Danny.”
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