Yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reported that six women, including actresses Olivia Munn and Natasha Henstridge, are accusing director Brett Ratner of sexual misconduct, the latest in what is becoming a crisis for Hollywood since similar accusations were made against producer Harvey Weinstein in stories appearing last month in the New York Times and the New Yorker magazine.
The L.A. Times article, written by Amy Kaufman and Daniel Miller, included this paragraph about the denials of Ratner’s lawyer, legendary Hollywood attorney Marty Singer…
“I have represented Mr. Ratner for two decades, and no woman has ever made a claim against him for sexual misconduct or sexual harassment,” Singer said in a 10-page letter to The Times. “Furthermore, no woman has ever requested or received any financial settlement from my client.”
Kaufman also remarked on Marty Singer’s 10-page response at her Twitter account…
That elicited a response from Yashar Ali, the notable New York Magazine freelancer, who hinted that he’s working on his own piece about Singer running interference for Hollywood’s figures dealing with the fallout of the Weinstein tsunami…
We haven’t communicated with Yashar about his plans, but we were interested in the idea that Marty Singer has been caught up in his own way in the current Hollywood meltdown.
One of the reasons that victims have been reluctant in the past to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct of powerful figures is that those powerful figures often employ powerful attorneys who can make coming forward very frightening.
And we have an example of that which we are making public this morning.
In March, we broke the story that the Los Angeles Police Department was investigating the accusations of three women, all Scientologists, who alleged that between 2001 and 2003 they were each raped violently by Scientologist and That ’70s Show actor Danny Masterson. Only one of the three victims, a woman we’re referring to as Victim B, went to the police with her allegations, when she reported her 2003 attack to the LAPD in 2004. That investigation was dropped when more victims couldn’t be found. Then last year, Victim A discovered for the first time that two other women also claimed to have been raped by Masterson, which motivated her to go to law enforcement for the first time, eventually sparking the LAPD investigation of allegations by all three women. Masterson has denied the allegations through his representatives, and he hired renowned criminal defense attorney Tom Mesereau.
After nearly a year since Victim A came forward, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office has not decided whether to file charges. Yesterday, we asked Netflix to explain why, four months after we revealed that Masterson was being investigated for three violent rapes, on July 4 the website renewed his show The Ranch for a third season to be released in 2018. That’s in contrast to its quick action this week, when it cancelled production on the sixth and final season of House of Cards only two days after 32-year-old, uncharged allegations against its star, Kevin Spacey, surfaced in the Daily Beast on Sunday. We’re still waiting for a response from the Netflix media relations department.
While reporting on the Masterson investigation we have managed to obtain numerous documents involved in the investigation, including police reports we made public in several stories.
The Underground Bunker also obtained a letter written by Masterson’s attorney, entertainment lawyer Marty Singer. It was sent last year to the husband of Victim A, threatening legal action over some accusations the husband made about Masterson on Twitter.
We think it gives a pretty good indication of what the hundreds of women coming forward in recent days have experienced as they tried to speak up about powerful men in Hollywood.
We look forward to your thoughts on the language of the letter.
UPDATE: Yashar Ali has now published that piece we were anticipating, and it’s killer. He says that his sources at the L.A. District Attorney’s office and the LAPD tell him that the investigation produced “overwhelming” evidence of Masterson’s guilt, but the case has inexplicably been “slow-rolled,” with the DA’s office still not deciding yet whether to file charges. Yashar also reveals that during the investigation, a fourth victim came forward, a woman who was never a Scientologist.
What is Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey waiting for?
Our previous coverage of the Danny Masterson investigation:
Mar 3: LAPD probing Scientology and Danny Masterson for multiple rapes, cover-up
Mar 8: Danny Masterson: Victim C gets support from a veteran actress, but will LAPD answer the call?
Mar 11: Source: Scientology made Danny Masterson’s Victim B search past lives to explain being raped
Mar 13: Danny Masterson turns 41 today, and we have a gift from his cast and crew at ‘The Ranch’
May 9: Danny Masterson hires Michael Jackson criminal defense attorney Tom Mesereau in rape probe
Aug 17: Celebrity battle lines: Michael Peña’s wife asks Scientologists to ‘Stand with Daniel Masterson’
Nov 1: Hey, Netflix, why does Scientology actor Danny Masterson still have a job?
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Chris Shelton and Tory Christman in conversation
Says Chris: “I have finally gotten together with Tory Magoo to talk about OSA influences on social media and behind the scenes which can sometimes lead to blowups between critics and perhaps some strategies to avoid all that. I think in the end, we all want the same thing despite our individual differences, experiences and backgrounds and it makes a lot of sense for us to stay on the same side. Hopefully this video will help that.”
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 4,921 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 67 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,130 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 1,904 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 2,678 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,024 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 2,518 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 1,558 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,270 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 796 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 4,885 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,025 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,345 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,320 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 676 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 4,978 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,084 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis for 1,487 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,360 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 941 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,446 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 1,690 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 12,799 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on November 2, 2017 at 07:00
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Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2016 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Undergound Bunker (2012-2016), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | Scientology’s Private Dancer | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | Scientology boasts about assistance from Google | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Our Guide to Alex Gibney’s film ‘Going Clear,’ and our pages about its principal figures…
Jason Beghe | Tom DeVocht | Sara Goldberg | Paul Haggis | Mark “Marty” Rathbun | Mike Rinder | Spanky Taylor | Hana Whitfield
