Leah Remini is as soon as once more taking the Church of Scientology to activity, posting a prolonged Twitter thread that accuses the group of “covering up” member Danny Masterson’s alleged crimes.
The King of Queens actor, a former Scientologist, urged her followers to maintain a shut eye on the trial by which Masterson is dealing with fees for the alleged sexual assaults of three ladies in separate incidents between 2001 and 2003.
Remini created and co-hosted successful present concerning the Scientology, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, which ran for 3 seasons on A&E Network. The present advised the unheard tales of people that managed to depart the spiritual group — many who stated they suffered dire and ongoing penalties within the church and past.
Remini’s newest thread revisited most of the themes explored on the present.
“Did you know that if you are a Scientologist, you are forbidden from contacting law enforcement when another Scientologist has committed a crime against you?” Remini’s first tweet learn. “If you do, you will be declared a suppressive person and lose your family, friends, and livelihood overnight.”
Her second tweet straight addressed the Masterson trial, saying it’s “not getting enough attention on social media.”
She went on to assert that Scientologists are “controlled” and that the group’s insurance policies, which had been written by founder L. Ron Hubbard, “can never be altered and must be interpreted literally, allowing this criminal (organization) to control members and insulate itself from bad PR.”
She then dove right into a multi-part explainer of what occurs when somebody within the group accuses one other member of against the law, noting that “most” of the ladies who’ve accused Masterson had been at one level Scientologists and first reported their alleged rapes to high ethics officers within the church.
She stated that these ethics officers instantly flip round and report what they’ve been advised to Scientology’s chief, David Miscavige.
She stated as soon as the studies get to Miscavige, these accusers are primarily deserted by the group.
“Most people would be too frightened to move forward if the cost of reporting the rape meant their entire life, from their family to their livelihood, would disappear overnight,” she continued, calling Scientology a “totalitarian cult.”
“This policy permits Scientologists to do horrific things to protect Scientology and makes Scientologists unreliable witnesses.”
Remini stated she’s hoping folks take note of Masterson’s trial, as she believes his lawyer Philip Cohen “is doing everything he can to strip the involvement of Scientology from this trial.”
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“Scientology has obstructed justice in covering up Danny’s crimes,” she wrote, calling those that got here ahead to accuse Masterson “courageous” because of the repercussions they could face.
Remini claimed that Scientologists who go to legislation enforcement to report crimes about one other Scientologist are declared a “suppressive person” and that the group then offers its members “permission to do whatever they have to do to destroy your life.”
This consists of the lack of household, buddies, and job for those who work inside the group, she stated.
“You will lose everything and everyone.”
She stated these penalties are dire sufficient to maintain folks from reporting crimes akin to rape.
She additionally inspired folks to comply with the trial and publish about it on social media, particularly “if you’re frustrated that Scientology has never been truly held accountable for its crimes.”
“It’s not just about a Hollywood celebrity,” she concluded. “It’s about what a multi-billion dollar cult does to cover up horrifying sex crimes.”
In May of this 12 months, the three ladies accusing Masterson every took the stand in a preliminary listening to to share the small print of their allegations.
After the three-day listening to, which included graphic and emotional testimony, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo decided that the actor would head to trial.
The trial started mid-October. The first lady to take the witness stand broke down in tears whereas testifying that Masterson pushed her face right into a pillow in 2003, smothering her to the purpose the place she couldn’t breathe. She additionally stated he choked her and he or she thought on the time “that he was going to kill me. That I was going to die.”
She stated she was out and in of consciousness that evening after she drank about half a glass of a fruity vodka drink that was given to her by Masterson. She additionally testified that Masterson pulled out a gun when he heard commotion exterior the door.
Masterson, 46, who on the time was a star of the Fox TV sitcom That ’70s present, has pleaded not responsible to the counts of rape.
All three of Masterson’s accusers had been members of the Church of Scientology on the time they declare the rapes occurred, however have since left. Masterson stays a member. Judge Olmedo stated earlier than the trial that she wouldn’t enable Scientology to change into a de facto defendant however would enable restricted dialogue of it.
Scientology did come up. The lady testified that a few of her mutual buddies filed so-called “knowledge reports” signalling their unhappiness together with her after she advised them concerning the preliminary incident with Masterson, and he or she was summoned by an ethics officer who compelled her to make peace with him and take accountability.
“You can never be a victim,” the girl stated. “No matter what happens, you’re always responsible.”
Asked if she nonetheless feared retaliation from anybody for coming ahead about Masterson, she replied “about half this courtroom.”
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She testified that she signed a non-disclosure settlement with Masterson in 2004, and accepted $400,000 over the course of a 12 months, as a result of the church was going to tar her as a “suppressive person” in any other case. She stated she had violated the settlement “about 50 times” since signing it.
Last week, one other accuser took the stand, saying she was in a relationship with Masterson for roughly six years, starting in 1997. She stated that in 2001 she woke as much as discover Masterson having intercourse together with her.
“I told him I didn’t want to have sex, and he wouldn’t stop,” she stated, as reported by E! News. He pinned her arms, she continued, making her really feel “trapped … I was screaming at him to get off of me.”
She additionally testified that he was “very sexually aggressive” and that he would typically name her “fat.” She stated she would have intercourse with him regardless of not eager to, as a result of in any other case he would change into mad at her and refuse to speak to her till she apologized to him.
She stated when she reported the alleged assault to a church ethics officer in 2003, she was advised to not use the phrase “rape.”
“She explained to me that you can’t rape someone you are in a relationship with,” the witness stated. She stated the officer advised her she “had done something to cause it … We’re all responsible for the condition we’re in.”
Further testimony is anticipated this week. If convicted, Masterson faces 45 years to life behind bars.
— With recordsdata from The Associated Press
