Actor Danny Masterson was convicted of two counts of rape in his second trial on charges of sexually assaulting women he met through the Church of Scientology in the early 2000s. The jury deliberated for a little over a week and reached a verdict on two of the three rape counts against Masterson, but they were deadlocked on the third count.
The victims, identified in court as Chrissy B., Jen B., and N. Trout, were practicing Scientologists when they met Masterson through the church. They waited over a decade to come forward because they were discouraged by church officials from contacting law enforcement, fearing repercussions and ex-communication. The victims’ relatives were also members of the Church of Scientology, adding to their concerns.
During the trial, the women described being drugged and sexually assaulted by Masterson. They accused him of serving them drinks that made them disoriented and vulnerable. Masterson’s defense attorney pointed out the lack of forensic evidence to support the drugging claims.
Chrissy B. testified about enduring an abusive relationship with Masterson, where he allegedly raped her after she woke up to him forcing himself on her. She also claimed to have lost consciousness after Masterson served her a drink at a restaurant in 2001, waking up the next morning in pain at his home.
Jen B. described becoming weak and woozy after drinking with Masterson, leading to him violently raping her at his home while wielding a gun and suffocating her with a pillow. N. Trout had a similar experience, stating that Masterson isolated her at his house, assaulted her in the shower, and raped her forcefully.
Masterson denied all allegations and did not testify at either trial. His defense team argued that the prosecution lacked corroborating evidence and questioned the victims’ motives, suggesting bias against the Church of Scientology.
The Church of Scientology was also a prominent factor in the trial, with allegations that church officials discouraged the victims from reporting the rapes to the police. The involvement of a church attorney in obtaining discovery materials in the case sparked an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and raised allegations of impropriety from prosecutors.
A hearing to determine how the attorney obtained the materials was rescheduled due to ongoing deliberations in the trial. The attorney claimed to have obtained the documents legally but did not provide further details.
