Danny Masterson has been dropped by UTA following a series of sexual assault allegations lobbed against the actor, TheWrap has confirmed.
In March, three women told the Los Angeles Police Department that they were sexually assaulted by Masterson in the early 2000s. The accusers say they came into contact with Masterson through the Church of Scientology, and were pressured into keeping the allegations quiet by the Church, according to a report from Tony Ortega, a journalist who runs an anti-Scientology website called The Underground Bunker.
A fourth accuser came forward later, though by then the LAPD investigation into Masterson had “stalled,” per Huffington Post reporter Yashar Ali. The cops would not approve that complaint, Ali wrote. Actress and former Scientologist Leah Remini suggested the falling apart of the police probe could have something to do with the Church’s regular donations to local law enforcement.
In a statement, the Church of Scientology said: “The Church adamantly denies that it ever ignores any allegations of criminal behavior, especially at the expense of alleged victims. What is being stated is utterly untrue. This has nothing to do with religion. This story is being manipulated to push a bigoted agenda. The Church follows all laws and cooperates with law enforcement. Any statement or implication to the contrary is false.”
Masterson has denied the rape charges, having previously called the accounts “false allegations.”