Danny Masterson Slams Lawsuit Filed By Sexual Assault Accusers as ''Beyond Ridiculous''
UPDATE: According to court documents exclusively obtained by E! News, the court orders that the two Jane Does and Chrissy Bixler settle their claims against Danny Masterson and the Church of Scientology per the religious arbitration agreement they signed upon their initiation into the church.
However, Bobette Riales never joined the church and is thus excluded from arbitration, with the court deciding on a later date if her claims will go to trial.
In a statement to E! News, Masterson's attorney Andrew Brettler said, "This was absolutely the correct result. We look forward to arbitrating the claims, as the Court directed."
To learn more about the case, continue reading below.
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Danny Masteron is fighting back against a lawsuit filed by four of his sexual assault accusers.
According to documents obtained by E! News, the women are suing Masterson, the Church of Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige, for allegedly carrying out a conspiracy to cover up the actor's actions. The women, two of whom are identified by name and two who are considered Jane Does in the case, claim that the defendants named in the suit have "systemically stalked, harassed, invaded their and their family's privacy, and intentionally caused them emotional distress to silence and intimidate them."
This Is How Danny Masterson Was Written Off The Ranch
Masterson, 43, has since blasted the lawsuit in a statement released by his attorney, which read, "This is beyond ridiculous. 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," he concluded.
The That '70s Show star has previously denied all allegations of sexual misconduct, and no charges have ever been filed against him. In 2017, Masterson was fired from his role on Netflix's The Ranch as a result of the allegations.
Both Chrissie Bixler and Bobette Rialis state in the lawsuit that they were assaulted on numerous occasions by Masterson throughout their respective relationships.
The complaint states that after Bixler reported the sexual assault to the Los Angeles Police Department in 2016, she was labeled a "SP" (suppressive person) by the Church of Scientology and subsequently stalked and harassed by members of the organization on a regular basis. Additionally, Bixler claims that in 2017 her dog died suddenly from "unexplained traumatic injuries to her trachea and esophagus." Other allegations brought forth by Bixler name a Scientology "agent," who Bixler claims threatened to "rape" and "drug" her 5-year-old twins.
"To this day, the Bixler Plaintiffs continues to be threatened, harassed, stalked, and surveilled," the documents state.
Riales claims to have endured a similar experience after coming forward with allegations against Masterson in 2017. One year later, Riales states in the complaint that the agent "threatened to commit serious and violent crimes" against her, "including murder." In another instance, Riales claims that one of her neighbors once observed a man in her driveway taking pictures. That same night, her 13-year-old child's bedroom window was shattered.
Jane Doe #1 claims that Masterson assaulted and possible drugged her on multiple occasions. She also alleges in the suit that after attempting to fight off Masterson, he pointed a gun at her and told her to be quiet.
In Jane Doe #2's case, she claims that after disclosing her own assault allegations to LAPD in 2017, she too began experiencing harassment from the Church. She states in the suit that she has "rarely left the house" in the two years that have passed since first reporting the alleged assaults.
The plaintiffs in the suit are seeking relief for several types of damages, including special damages and compensation for medical, hospital and incidental expenses, as well as attorneys' fees.
A spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International has similarly shot down the validity of the allegations, telling E! News in a statement, "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."