Danny Masterson, Church of Scientology Sued by 4 Sexual Assault Accusers for Alleged Stalking
Four women filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Danny Masterson and the Church of Scientology, alleging they were stalked and intimidated after accusing the actor of sexual assault.
In the complaint obtained by PEOPLE, Chrissie Carnell Bixler (Masterson’s ex), Marie Bobette Riales and two anonymous Jane Does accuse Masterson and the church of engaging in stalking, physical invasion of privacy and a conspiracy to obstruct justice, among other allegations, claiming they and their families were harassed in an effort to silence them. (Bixler’s husband is also a plaintiff.)
HuffPost was the first to report the news.
“This is beyond ridiculous,” Masterson said in a statement to PEOPLE through his attorney. “I’m not going to fight my ex-girlfriend in the media like she’s been baiting me to do for more than two years. I will beat her in court — and look forward to it because the public will finally be able learn the truth and see how I’ve been railroaded by this woman. And once her lawsuit is thrown out, I intend to sue her and the others who jumped on the bandwagon for the damage they caused me and my family.”
In a statement, a litigation counsel for the Church of Scientology told PEOPLE: “From everything we have read in the press, this baseless lawsuit will go nowhere because the claims are ludicrous and a sham. It’s a dishonest and hallucinatory publicity stunt. Leah Remini is taking advantage of these people as pawns in her moneymaking scam.”
Remini, 49, was a member of the church for 35 years before making her split public in 2013. Since she left, she’s been an outspoken critic of Scientology. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the accusations against Masterson will be included in the two-hour series finale special for Remini’s Scientology and the Aftermath.
According to the plaintiffs’ complaint, Masterson, 39, has been under investigation over the sexual assault allegations by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney since 2017. He has repeatedly denied the claims.
The That ’70s Show alumnus was dropped from the Netflix series The Ranch and by his agency, UTA, in the wake of the allegations.
The four women, who have accused Masterson of raping them in the early 2000s, claim in the lawsuit that they were systematically stalked and subsequently suffered emotional distress after filing reports with the LAPD.
They are seeking unspecified damages and demanding a trial by jury.