Danny Masterson is now in state prison. Here's what's going on with the Scientology lawsuits.
Two hearings are scheduled in January in Los Angeles in actress Leah Remini's harassment lawsuit against the Church of Scientology.
Former That ‘70s Show actor Danny Masterson has been transported to state prison to serve his 30 years to life sentence for raping two women in 2003.
Masterson, 47, is now at the North Kern State Prison, about 145 miles north of Los Angeles, where he’ll undergo evaluations to decide his permanent placement in the California prison system.
His transport on Wednesday occurred nearly three weeks after Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo ordered him into state custody after the probation office accounted for 10 firearms that Masterson didn’t relinquish when he was released on bail three years ago as required.
Judge Olmedo sentenced Masterson on Sept. 8. In November, prosecutors said the probation office hadn’t located 10 firearms. Masterson’s lawyers said the guns hadn’t been in possession for years and asked for more time to figure out what happened.
“In 2020, Mr. Masterson surrendered all firearms in his possession to law enforcement pursuant to the protective order in this case. They’ve remained in law enforcement custody since that time,” said Kate Mangels, an associate with Shawn Holley’s firm Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir LLP.
On Dec. 7, Mangels submitted a declaration that detailed the location of the guns. One was destroyed in 2020, and one was located in Santa Barbara County. Eight others were handed over to a licensed firearms dealer in Lafayette, Oregon, which is between Salem and Portland.
With that, Masterson’s case is now with California’s Second District Court of Appeal. The case record was submitted on Dec. 22. A due date for the opening brief has not yet been scheduled.
Meanwhile, there are four ongoing lawsuits related to Masterson and the Church of Scientology, of which he is a lifelong member.
Valerie Haney v. Church of Scientology et al.
Valerie Haney sued Scientology for false imprisonment, stalking and other claims in April 2019, and a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted Scientology’s motion to compel arbitration.
The arbitration is ongoing. Tony Ortega recently wrote about how it’s going for the Daily Beast.
Here’s Haney’s most recent complaint:
Chrissie Bixler v. Church of Scientology et al.
Bixler is Masterson’s former girlfriend and one of three women he was accused raping. She and her husband, Mars Volta singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala, are plaintiffs along with the other two victims in the criminal case, Jen B. and Niesha Trout. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge granted a motion to compel arbitration in December 2020 that forced the case into private arbitration controlled by the Church of Scientology, but the Second District Court of Appeal overturned the decision.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider a July 2022 writ petition from Masterson and Scientology, and the trial court litigation resumed after Masterson’s conviction. Scientology’s lawyers at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP and Winston & Strawn LLP have pending a motion to strike and an anti-SLAPP motion (strategic lawsuit against public participation), but the plaintiffs recently moved to filed their second amended complaint to add as a plaintiff Tricia Vessey, who testified as an uncharged victim in Masterson’s first trial, and add a claim of civil racketeering.
Jane Doe v. Church Scientology et al.
This lawsuit from Masterson’s rape survivor Jen B says the Church of Scientology forced her to marry a much older member, senior Scientology executive Gavin Potter. The claims include sexual assault, sexual battery and fraud.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert Broadbelt in February is to consider a motion to force the case into Scientology arbitration. Earlier in December, he granted a request from Jen B’s lawyers, including Linda Singer of Motley Rice LLC, to allow limited discovery regarding the contract at issue.
Leah Remini v. David Miscavige et al.
Actress Leah Remini sued Scientology in August, alleging a pattern of harassment, intimidation, stalking and defamation.
Here’s her original complaint:
She’s since filed an amended complaint, and Scientology has filed an anti-SLAPP motion and a motion to strike. As Tony Ortega reports, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Randolph M. Hammock is to consider the anti-SLAPP motion on Jan. 9 and Remini’s motion for preliminary injunction on Jan. 19.
Gawain Baxter et al. v. David Miscavige et al.
This is a federal lawsuit in the Middle District of Florida that alleges labor trafficking based on they plaintiffs say they were treated on a Scientology retreat cruise ship in the Caribbean. U.S. District Judge Tom Barber in Tampa, Florida, granted Scientology’s motion to compel arbitration in March. Judge Barber then authorized the plaintiffs to file an interlocutory appeal with the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
Big thanks to Tony Ortega for covering these lawsuits so closely. If you haven’t already, subscribe to his great Underground Bunker mailing list to stay up on the latest. I will be covering major hearings, including the anti-SLAPP hearing in Remini’s lawsuit on Jan. 9.
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