Former star of The Ranch, Danny Masterson has reportedly been served legal papers by a group of women who claim they are sexual assault victims of the actor. The Blast reports the women informed the courts of the development, as it relates to a lawsuit they currently have against Masterson, The Church of Scientology, and its leader David Miscavige. The four woman โ two of which remain anonymous โ have accused Masterson of sexual assault, alleging Miscavige and the Church of Scientology actively covered up the assaults.
According to the outlet, the lawsuit claims the defendants engaged in “conspiracy to cover up that Daniel Masterson sexually assaulted four young women.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
“When those women came forward to report Masterson’s crimes,” the lawsuit adds, “the Defendants conspired to and systematically stalked, harassed, invaded their and their family’s privacy, and intentionally caused them emotional distress and silence and intimidate them.”
“Whether discovered during auditing or otherwise, Defendants forbid members from contacting police to report a crime committed by any member,” the suit also states. “The Institutional Defendants instruct their members and agents that reporting such instances to law enforcement is considered a ‘high crime’ and subjects the member to punishment.”
A rep for Masterson has since responded to the suit, issuing a statement from the actor to The Blast that reads, “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 courtโand look forward to it because the public will finally be able learn the truth and see how I’ve been railroaded by this woman,” Masterson’s statement adds, “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.”
The sexual assault accusations against Masterson resurfaced back in 2017, with the actor being let go from The Ranch in light of the circumstance.
Following his firing, Masterson spoke out about the situation, saying, “From day one, I have denied the outrageous allegations against me. Law enforcement investigated these claims more than 15 years ago and determined them to be without merit.”
“I have never been charged with a crime, let alone convicted of one. In this country, you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, in the current climate, it seems as if you are presumed guilty the moment you are accused,” he added.
The Ranch Part 7 debuted on Netflix Sept. 13.
Photo Credit: Netflix