EXCLUSIVE: Scientology slams harassment lawsuit filed by Danny Masterson’s accusers as ‘meritless’ and ‘false’ 

• In court filings obtained by DailyMail.com the Church of Scientology argued that the civil lawsuit omit ‘critical facts demonstrating that their claims are meritless’
• The case was filed in 2019 by four victims – proven and alleged – who claimed they were harassed and intimidated after reporting Danny Masterson for rape 
• In its response, the church claimed some of the accusers had no ‘independent corroborative evidence’ or could prove they ‘reasonably feared’ for their safety

The Church of Scientology has launched a massive counter attack against a lawsuit brought by convicted rapist  Danny Masterson’s four accusers who claimed they were stalked, harassed, and threatened by the church after coming forward with their allegations. 

In a barrage of new filings at Los Angeles Superior Court obtained by DailyMail.com, the church’s team of lawyers vehemently denied the accusations calling them ‘meritless’ and ‘blatantly false’.

The onslaught comes a month after Judge Upinder Kalra, at the urging of the accusers’ lawyers, lifted a stay on the civil case that had been in place since it was filed in August 2019.

The case was put on hold to await the outcome of the Scientologist actor’s criminal rape trial – which resulted in two convictions and a 30 years to life prison sentence last month.

Danny Masterson’s four accusers – proven and alleged – sued the Church in Scientology in 2019 claiming they were harassed and intimidated after publicly accusing him of rape 

Two of the women were later identified as Masterson’s ex-girlfriends, Chrissie Carnell Bixler (left) and Marie Bobette Riales. The two other remain anonymous, known as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2

New court documents obtained by DailyMail.com show the Church of Scientology has now launched a counter attack against the women, following Masterson’s conviction

The civil lawsuit against the That ’70s Show actor – which also names the Church of Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige – was brought by four women – who say Masterson drugged and raped them. 

Two of the women named in the suit were Masterson’s ex-girlfriends – Chrissie Bixler, 45, and Bobette Riales, 42 – while the other two are listed as Jane Does 1 and 2. 

Masterson was ultimately charged with raping three women but was only convicted of raping Jane Does 1 and 2 in the criminal case. 

The jury could not reach a verdict on Jane Doe 3 – who was revealed to be Bixler. He was never charged with raping Riales. 

According to the civil lawsuit: ‘When those women came forward to report Masterson’s crimes the defendants conspired to and systematically stalked, harassed, invaded their and their family’s privacy, and intentionally caused them emotional distress to silence and intimidate them.’

Scientology leader David Miscavige was named as a defendant alongside Masterson in the civil suit

Lawyers for Scientology and Masterson opposed lifting the stay on the case, arguing that it should be delayed at least until his criminal appeal is resolved.

Bur after Judge Kalra turned down that argument and scheduled the case for a trial in September 2025, the attorneys  launched their aggressive counter offensive against the four women, calling for large parts of their testimony to be stricken and rejected by the judge.

The accusers ‘make many allegations that unquestionably involve acts of free speech by the Church defendants’, blasted Scientology’s lawyers.

‘Moreover….the allegations leave out critical facts demonstrating that their claims are meritless.’

One of the cornerstones of the lawsuit is that the three ex-Scientologist accusers – Riales was never a Scientologist – waited up to 20 years to report Masterson for rape because they feared retribution from Scientology, which they say had a strict doctrine forbidding church members from reporting crimes by fellow Scientologists to the police.

In a barrage of new documents filed at Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained by DailyMail.com, the church’s legal team vehemently denied the accusations calling them ‘meritless’ and ‘blatantly false’

Danny Masterson and ex-girlfriend Bobette Riales. The actor was never charged for sexually assaulting Riales but she is a plaintiff in the civil case filed against the church in 2019

Danny Masterson’s ex-girlfriend Chrissie Bixler accused the church of poisoning and killing her dogs in retaliation for speaking out against the actor 

Church attorneys attacked that contention in their new court documents, calling it a ‘blatant’ misinterpretation of Church practices and adding, ‘Church doctrine does not prohibit persons from reporting crimes.’

As for the women’s allegations that they’ve been threatened and intimidated by other Scientologists, the attorneys maintained that none of the named people accused of making the threats was an ‘agent’ of the Church, nor had they ever worked for the Church.

The Scientology attorneys blasted the alleged victims’ claim that any member who leaves the Church or goes against its rules, is ‘fair game’ for harassment.

‘There is no doctrine of “fair game” within the Scientology religion,’ they said.

They hit out at the four accusers for ‘spreading falsehoods,’ and ‘misquoting religious Scientology texts’.

And they insisted that Scientology teachings are ‘protected by a constitutional right to free speech’.

The Church’s legal team argued that some of the accusers had no ‘independent corroborative evidence’ or could prove that they ‘reasonably feared’ for their safety.

Nor could they prove that Scientology had ‘made a credible threat’, the attorneys added.

All four women in the lawsuit maintain that after they reported Masterson – a big-shot in the Church of Scientology who has now been excommunicated – to law enforcement, they became victims of a harassment and intimidation campaign orchestrated by the Church.

The disgraced actor (pictured in court in 2020)  is currently serving a 30-year sentence behind bars after being found guilty last month of raping two women

Danny Masterson was supported by wife Bijou Phillips throughout his trial. However she has now filed for divorce and he has been booted from the Church of Scientology

In her report to cops, Bixler said her dog mysteriously died. An autopsy determined the dog ‘died of unexplained traumatic injuries to her trachea and esophagus’.

Bixler also claimed that she was run off the road by a car that had been following her.

And she accused one of Masterson’s friends of threatening to release nude photos of her taken when she was underage.

Riales claimed that after she reported Masterson for alleged rape, she experienced threats to silence her, including being followed, watched and having her trash stolen.

She told of a neighbor who saw a man in her driveway taking pictures and chased him away, but then added that her 13-year-old child’s bedroom window was smashed.

Jane Doe 1 said that after she reported Masterson to LAPD the Church of Scientology ‘mobilized against’ her.

Jane Doe 2 claimed her phone and computer have been hacked, her car was vandalized and she received harassment on social media.

And she said that she ‘rarely left the house’ in the two years after reporting her sexual assault to law enforcement.’

Lawyers for Masterson and Scientology will get a chance to voice their opposition to the four women’s lawsuit at the next hearing in the case, scheduled for November 22.

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