Jane Doe 3, the long-term girlfriend of star Danny Masterson who testified over multiple days in a quiet, often broken voice that the “That 70s Show” actor often “demanded” sex from her – and would sometimes take it without her consent – became passionate and emphatic on the stand Thursday when the topic of alleged “stalking and harassment” by the Church of Scientology came up.
The witness also known as “CB” in court, along with the other two women testifying in Masterson’s criminal rape case, had filed a separate civil action against Scientology to stop what she says is constant badgering from the church, to which she no longer belongs.
Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller asked her about the civil lawsuit, filed in 2019, and noted that “you’re not asking for money. Was that (filing) related to the stalking and harassment you were experiencing?”
CB’s voice suddenly rose, and she spoke passionately, saying:
“It’s related to the terror campaign that this criminal organization has put upon me daily. It didn’t matter how many police reports or FBI reports [there were], they continue doing it to this day.”
As she spoke, she started breathing heavily as if she was about to have another anxiety attack, before calming herself down.
Mueller spoke to her prior testimony where she said she had loved Masterson despite the two alleged assaults in November and December 2001. Asked why that was the case, she said, “I was 18 years old when I met him. We lived together for six years. I would always repeat over and over – he saved my life. He got me into Scientology. I believed it was true. Things are less painful if you believe something like that.”
But she also said Masterson didn’t respect personal boundaries when it came to sex.
“There would be no asking, no loving,” she said. “A lot of times, it would happen where I would be asleep and I would wake up to him having sex with me. That was normal. It was the only thing I knew. Just how it was.”
Defense Attorney Phillip Cohen had a chance to cross-examine CB, asking her about several aspects of her prior testimony, including his assertion that all three Jane Does who have accused Masterson spoke to each other – after expressly being told not to. Cohen continued to intimate that all three worked together to ensure their stories sounded similar, which CB denied.
Cohen was grilling CB for several minutes about whether, after speaking with a different detective, she then contacted the Los Angles district attorney in an attempt to change her police report.
At that point CB said, “Oh my gosh, I feel dizzy.”
Cohen backed off immediately: “I have no further questions,” he said.
The judge called for a sidebar, then sent the jury out to admonish two men in the audience talking and pointing at the witness. She then warned the public that she expects everyone to have a “poker face” in front of the jury or they will be thrown out.
With that, CB’s testimony concluded.
Thursday’s testimony wrapped with Officer Alexander Schlegel, who took Jane Doe 1 (JB’s) report in 2004 following her November 2003 alleged assault at Masterson’s house.
Schlegel corroborated JB’s testimony about her reporting a sexual assault, the time of the alleged assault, the names of witnesses – including Julian Swartz, whom Schlegel referred to as “The minister of the Church of Scientology” – and the order of events.
A sticking point in JB’s testimony has been whether Masterson had a gun, and whether he pulled it from his nightstand and pointed it at her during the attack. In Thursday’s testimony, CB stated that Masterson did in fact own a registered firearm.
JB had testified that she had attempted to grab the gun from Masterson’s nightstand during the assault and he had slammed her hand in the drawer. She also testified that she was told by the Church she was not allowed to report that Masterson owned a gun because it wasn’t true, but that she did tell Shlegel about it, that Schelgel looked something up in the computer and he said, “They lied.”
Schlegel, however, testified he did not recall her mentioning a gun, but did corroborate that Masterson put a pillow over her face and “she said she couldn’t breathe and thought she was going to die … She was trying to find something to hit him with on the [night]stand.”
Asked directly by Mueller, “Did she ever mention the gun?” Schlegel said he didn’t recall checking to see if Masterson owned a registered gun but he also said that doesn’t mean he didn’t. Schlegel’s testimony resumes Friday morning.
Masterson is facing criminal accusations from three women who claim they met the “That 70s Show” star through the Church of Scientology and were assaulted in the early 2000s. If convicted, Masterson faces a maximum sentence of 45 years to life in prison in a trial that could last up to a month.
Masterson denies all wrongdoing. Lawyers for Masterson, a prominent Scientologist, had sought to exclude the Church of Scientology and its influence from his trial – but it has loomed large in almost every day.
The church has emphatically denied any involvement in the case.