Danny Masterson stands together with his lawyer Thomas Mesereau, as he's arraigned on rape expenses at Clara Shortridge Foltz Legal Justice Middle on Sept. 18, 2020.
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Danny Masterson purchased the silence of one in every of his rape accusers by getting her to signal a $400,000 non-disclosure settlement (NDA), she instructed a court docket Wednesday.
The girl, giving her testimony underneath the title Jen B., stated she was given the selection to signal the NDA or threat being excommunicated from the Scientology religion that she and Masterson shared.
Earlier within the day, the accuser — the primary of three to take the stand — had described how Masterson brutally raped her in 2003 and the way she had prevented talking together with her Scientology superiors about it.
Nonetheless, round a 12 months later, she claimed Scientology officers gave her a alternative: Both signal an NDA about her encounter with Masterson or threat being excommunicated and labeled as a “suppressive.”
“My life can be over,” she testified. “My mother and father must disconnect from me. … I had a daughter at school.
“I wouldn’t be capable to work with [my parents]. I wouldn’t know the place to go. My mother and father would even be ‘labeled.’
“Their firm, the individuals who labored for them, household and mates and everybody they’ve identified since 1972 … You must select your destiny, and I didn’t know if they'd select me over that.”
![One of Danny Masterson's accusers said he wanted her to sign a $400,000 Non-Disclosure Agreement [NDA], she told a court Wednesday.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/danny-masterson-paid-accuser-482.jpg?w=1024)
The advantageous print of the settlement wasn’t revealed in court docket, however legal professionals for Jen B. stated Masterson was presupposed to pay your complete quantity of the settlement throughout the 12 months.
In the meantime, Jen B. agreed she wouldn't “harm his repute” and have an effect on his future earnings.
If she broke the settlement, she was to pay $200,000 per violation.
She testified about how she went to signal the paperwork on the Beverly Hills workplace of high-powered superstar lawyer Marty Singer.
She was given till 6 p.m. that day to signal the settlement, she claimed.
Jen B. claimed that when introduced with the batch of paperwork, Singer allegedly instructed her to not contact the pages and solely to signal it.
She did, nevertheless, bear in mind seeing the title “David Duncan” on the doc, which was Masterson’s code title.
The NDA signing got here a 12 months after she alleged she was raped. She reported the rape to her Scientology superiors, who she claims inspired her to not go to the police.
In a letter to Scientology Justice Chief Mike Ellis, she instructed him how Masterson had raped her and that she deliberate to report the incident to police.
His reply was proven to the court docket and Jen B. summarized it, saying: “He didn’t give me permission to go to legislation enforcement.
“As an alternative he selected to level to the coverage that I can not go to the police.”
Nonetheless, in 2004, round a 12 months after the incident, Jen B. did report it to the Los Angeles Police Division.
When the LAPD contacted high-ranking church members in regards to the incident, she says they grew to become irate, with one telling her: “Yeah, you might be f—ed. You haven't any thought how f—ed you might be,” she claimed.
Quickly after, she was handed the NDA to signal.
Requested what she was afraid of, she stated: “I broke that NDA about 50 occasions … I’m supposed to simply let you know ‘Mr. Duncan’ and I had a disagreement and we resolved it.”
Scientology has beforehand stated it's “inappropriate to touch upon a pending legal matter” concerning the Masterson case.
The church has additionally beforehand disputed Jen B.’s claims, saying it “has no coverage prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting legal conduct of Scientologists — or of anybody — to legislation enforcement … Church coverage explicitly calls for Scientologists abide by all legal guidelines of the land, together with the reporting of crimes.”
Masterson’s protection lawyer, Philip Cohen, is about to cross-examine Jen B. on the stand on Thursday. In opening statements in regards to the case, he had questioned the motive and character of the alleged victims, and the way the small print of their tales had modified over time.
Cohen stated regardless of repeated warnings from investigators, the three accusers had spoken with each other and already “contaminated” the case.
Masterson has pleaded not responsible to all expenses. He faces a jail sentence of 45 years to life if convicted. The trial continues.
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