Failing to consider the complexities, the incongruent duality of human nature is what fuels many rigid opinions. Is it possible that Danny is all the things he’s been accused of and all the things he’s been loved for? Could he be a loving father and a rapist? A drug-eschewing Scientologist who drugged women? A caring friend and a violent lover? Is it possible that he is a good husband today but was a bad boyfriend years ago? So many things can be true that I find myself incapable of forming a black/white opinion on him. What I do find concerning is a legal system that convicts based on he-said/she-said and that people don’t care because sometimes the means justifies the end, and…well…we got our guy. I mean no disrespect to true victims; their story is complex as well. Fear, shame, you name it, influence a woman’s decision to tell or not tell or tell 20 years later when she’s found her voice and strength.
I urge everyone who says “without any evidence” to research sexual assault cases. Before dna & forensics became as important as it is today rape cases that were prosecuted didn’t have much, if any, evidence at all. That’s why investigators who specialise in sex crimes are so so important. The investigators are one of the biggest parts of why this case ended in conviction. Add to that, the defence’s job is to attack any shreds of credibility and sow doubt. Sexual assaults are some of the most difficult because there may not ever be evidence in a lot of cases.
I find it sad because, tbh, I think a lot of social media and the public hide under the safety net of Depp/Heard’s media circus and the perceived failed metoo movement. Yes, think objectively, look at the facts, look at statistics, get as much information as you can…but a lot of people who don’t understand the legal system and sex crimes trials are commenting and don’t see how hard it was to try Masterson, how they had to do it twice, and ultimately how and why they were successful.
The first jury doesn’t matter here. The ‘lack of evidence’ only matters insomuch as the prosecution fought an uphill battle twice and were ultimately victorious in getting justice.
As a Scientologist, this court case has hit me much deeper than just a prosecution of a man. He is innocent until proven guilty, and the court did not prove him guilty. Obviously the prosecution, judge and media are biased against the Church of Scientology and this was heavily leaned on in this case.
I believe that if this is going on in this country, nobody is safe. Anyone with political and religious beliefs counter to the ruling class is in danger of being jailed and ostracized.
The only thing this trial proved is that it is possible in the United States today to convict and sentence someone for their religion. A VERY dark and dangerous precedent for every American indeed.
Tinfoil hat thought coming in hot: Bijou’s dad, John Phillips, allegedly had pretty strong ties to the CIA (through his military father) and was heavily involved in the Laurel canyon music scene CIA operation, according to Weird Scenes from Inside the Canyon by David McGowan and other accounts. I’ve also read several articles about Scientology being a branch of the CIA. Maybe Bijou and Danny pissed off some of the of the wrong people at the top and this is their punishment?? It’s far reaching i know, but, well, so is the alleged moon landing too so why not. I trust nothing anymore (except you lol)
As a rape survivor, I am in disbelief that in the year 2023 folks are still generally ignorant of the effects of trauma and how hard it can be to speak up, let alone press charges, in a climate as victim-averse (sometimes shaming) as ours. Whether you believe them or not, these women's stories are *a* valid form of evidence. And this conviction was bolstered by the fact that they all told friends shortly after the incident—additional evidence.
In my case, I told no one after the first rape, and only one person after the second (different predator) and that person was a counselor in training. He was so visibly uncomfortable with my experience that I figured, guess no one wants to hear this and didn't go further. Reading some of these comments, it feels like folks still don't want to hear it. Unless they're bot generated, in which case, I'll breathe a sigh of relief for humanity. Otherwise, there's plenty of literature on trauma readily available for anyone who wants to genuinely understand.
I didn’t follow this trial but for as many criminals as LA let’s off right now there is definitely something more to this story. I’m not saying those women lied because they most definitely could have been raped and no one listened. Or the Church of Scientology wanted to cover it up. But was the conviction pushed because he was a Scientologist or rapist? Anyone who watches the news knows LA let’s people off for worse crimes. We likely will never know but at the same time maybe people will speak to Jessica because you have shown you do the work in your investigation and write things that they don’t want the public to read.
Unfortunately, two things can be true. He can be the wonderful guy described in the statements from friends and family, he can be a good father and husband, but he also could very well have raped these women. We’ll never know...
Hm. I’m just listening and following along and learning to ask better questions. I’ve been raped more than once , Ive lived with PTSD, I’ve healed, I’ve forgiven, And I’m confused and stunned by the 30 year sentence and where I stand on all of this. This makes my heart ache for many reasons. Grateful for these conversations that ask us to dig deeper.
I'm not understanding why you continue to ask "what evidence" when you included the judges statement:
Olmedo continued: “You were not convicted based on rumors, innuendo, gossip and speculation,” “You were convicted based on evidence that 12 people in the community found to be credible. … You were convicted because each of the victims reported the rapes to someone shortly after the rapes occurred.”
A few interesting things not mentioned: When asking for leniency in sentencing why did his own lawyer say she would argue rehabilitation had already taken place if he’s supposed to be innocent? Why didn’t he testify? Perhaps because that would open the way for him to be questioned about his words in the internal Scientology documents from all those years ago, prosecution would have obliterated him. There’s no way the first trial could’ve been fair without the context of how the church handled him and the women. The judge walked a fun line and tried to keep it tight most likely with a view of appeal in mind. We’ll see about that but I think the real bombshells will be in the civil trial when all the documentation is out there and if everything on him can be seen.
There must have been evidence that was strong that we aren’t privy to? After all there weren’t cameras in the courtroom, and I don’t believe all the details of the trial were released? I’m probably in the minority but I don’t like Danny Masterson, he just gives me an ick vibe, I’ve always felt that way, even before the charges came out. That’s just a gut feeling and it could be wrong, not all gut feelings are correct. I watched the documentary on Scientology and I wholeheartedly believe that they tried to suppress the alleged victims from coming forward.
Rapists are known to construct a false image to hide that dark side of themselves and victims of sexual abuse are often coerced into silence. Family, spouses, colleagues and longtime friends wouldn’t know about such transgressions. To my knowledge, rape cannot be ruled out just because of a romantic relationship status and SA victims often can’t backup claims. And lastly, the Church of Scientology is being exposed more and more for protecting sexual predators/abusers.
This is truly a difficult one for me personally because I know too many sexual predators walking free due to lack of evidence and coercion.
I do not believe he did it. I read tony Ortega’ said Substack daily for both trials and they were VASTLY different trials. I believe he may have been an arrogant asshole to his girlfriend and I believe he may have felt entitled at the time. When you know better, you do better rings so loudly to me in these stories. It seems like he was young, they were all drinking, they made bad decisions and didn’t like that he didn’t fall in love with them. I get it. I’ve been there. I’ve also had boyfriends that when we had sex it didn’t feel great and they thought only about themselves. I’ve woken up from a messy drunken escapade in my 20’s having slept with a friend and thinking we were going to fall in love and it would be magical and I’ve also woken up and thought oh bloody hell what did I do now? I’ve been embarrassed by an asshole or 10, and they’ve grown up and I’ve grown up and they don’t act that way anymore.
They just convicted a man of being an immature asshole 23 years ago. Watch your boys because apparently every mistake they make will haunt them for their ENTIRE life and they could die in prison for poor judgement and disrespecting someone years ago.
Most victims of rape and incest don’t come forward ... at least not right away. That is why there has to be extended statute of limitations.
These women were part of the cult of Scientology ... I believe them when they say they were threatened to keep quiet. They also faced expulsion from their cult, their families, their life long friends, the only way of life they have ever known...not much wonder they waited so long. The same type of expulsion can be faced by victims of incest - they can lose their entire family.
There may not be physical evidence but these women told people in their lives who could testify on their behalf. There often isn’t in people who report immediately as a persons first instinct is to wash the perpetrator off their skin.
People who have never experienced sexual assault, rape, incest etc themselves have no idea the way a person feels afterward; the PTSD they experience for the rest of their lives. If statistics are true, at least 1 in 3 women (or more) have been the victim of sexual assault, abuse, rape etc. The majority of them never come forward and many of the comments being made here are the reason why.
Personally, I am pleased to see that a rapist is getting a sentence commensurate with at least part of the number of years a victim deals with the after math of being raped.
30 Years To Life
Failing to consider the complexities, the incongruent duality of human nature is what fuels many rigid opinions. Is it possible that Danny is all the things he’s been accused of and all the things he’s been loved for? Could he be a loving father and a rapist? A drug-eschewing Scientologist who drugged women? A caring friend and a violent lover? Is it possible that he is a good husband today but was a bad boyfriend years ago? So many things can be true that I find myself incapable of forming a black/white opinion on him. What I do find concerning is a legal system that convicts based on he-said/she-said and that people don’t care because sometimes the means justifies the end, and…well…we got our guy. I mean no disrespect to true victims; their story is complex as well. Fear, shame, you name it, influence a woman’s decision to tell or not tell or tell 20 years later when she’s found her voice and strength.
I urge everyone who says “without any evidence” to research sexual assault cases. Before dna & forensics became as important as it is today rape cases that were prosecuted didn’t have much, if any, evidence at all. That’s why investigators who specialise in sex crimes are so so important. The investigators are one of the biggest parts of why this case ended in conviction. Add to that, the defence’s job is to attack any shreds of credibility and sow doubt. Sexual assaults are some of the most difficult because there may not ever be evidence in a lot of cases.
I find it sad because, tbh, I think a lot of social media and the public hide under the safety net of Depp/Heard’s media circus and the perceived failed metoo movement. Yes, think objectively, look at the facts, look at statistics, get as much information as you can…but a lot of people who don’t understand the legal system and sex crimes trials are commenting and don’t see how hard it was to try Masterson, how they had to do it twice, and ultimately how and why they were successful.
The first jury doesn’t matter here. The ‘lack of evidence’ only matters insomuch as the prosecution fought an uphill battle twice and were ultimately victorious in getting justice.
As a Scientologist, this court case has hit me much deeper than just a prosecution of a man. He is innocent until proven guilty, and the court did not prove him guilty. Obviously the prosecution, judge and media are biased against the Church of Scientology and this was heavily leaned on in this case.
I believe that if this is going on in this country, nobody is safe. Anyone with political and religious beliefs counter to the ruling class is in danger of being jailed and ostracized.
The only thing this trial proved is that it is possible in the United States today to convict and sentence someone for their religion. A VERY dark and dangerous precedent for every American indeed.
Wow! Thank you for this. Seriously no evidence shown and he gets 30 years? Not saying he isn’t guilty of any accusations, but that is incredibly wild.
Tinfoil hat thought coming in hot: Bijou’s dad, John Phillips, allegedly had pretty strong ties to the CIA (through his military father) and was heavily involved in the Laurel canyon music scene CIA operation, according to Weird Scenes from Inside the Canyon by David McGowan and other accounts. I’ve also read several articles about Scientology being a branch of the CIA. Maybe Bijou and Danny pissed off some of the of the wrong people at the top and this is their punishment?? It’s far reaching i know, but, well, so is the alleged moon landing too so why not. I trust nothing anymore (except you lol)
As a rape survivor, I am in disbelief that in the year 2023 folks are still generally ignorant of the effects of trauma and how hard it can be to speak up, let alone press charges, in a climate as victim-averse (sometimes shaming) as ours. Whether you believe them or not, these women's stories are *a* valid form of evidence. And this conviction was bolstered by the fact that they all told friends shortly after the incident—additional evidence.
In my case, I told no one after the first rape, and only one person after the second (different predator) and that person was a counselor in training. He was so visibly uncomfortable with my experience that I figured, guess no one wants to hear this and didn't go further. Reading some of these comments, it feels like folks still don't want to hear it. Unless they're bot generated, in which case, I'll breathe a sigh of relief for humanity. Otherwise, there's plenty of literature on trauma readily available for anyone who wants to genuinely understand.
I didn’t follow this trial but for as many criminals as LA let’s off right now there is definitely something more to this story. I’m not saying those women lied because they most definitely could have been raped and no one listened. Or the Church of Scientology wanted to cover it up. But was the conviction pushed because he was a Scientologist or rapist? Anyone who watches the news knows LA let’s people off for worse crimes. We likely will never know but at the same time maybe people will speak to Jessica because you have shown you do the work in your investigation and write things that they don’t want the public to read.
Unfortunately, two things can be true. He can be the wonderful guy described in the statements from friends and family, he can be a good father and husband, but he also could very well have raped these women. We’ll never know...
Hm. I’m just listening and following along and learning to ask better questions. I’ve been raped more than once , Ive lived with PTSD, I’ve healed, I’ve forgiven, And I’m confused and stunned by the 30 year sentence and where I stand on all of this. This makes my heart ache for many reasons. Grateful for these conversations that ask us to dig deeper.
I'm not understanding why you continue to ask "what evidence" when you included the judges statement:
Olmedo continued: “You were not convicted based on rumors, innuendo, gossip and speculation,” “You were convicted based on evidence that 12 people in the community found to be credible. … You were convicted because each of the victims reported the rapes to someone shortly after the rapes occurred.”
Or maybe he actually did exactly what he was just found guilty of doing....
A few interesting things not mentioned: When asking for leniency in sentencing why did his own lawyer say she would argue rehabilitation had already taken place if he’s supposed to be innocent? Why didn’t he testify? Perhaps because that would open the way for him to be questioned about his words in the internal Scientology documents from all those years ago, prosecution would have obliterated him. There’s no way the first trial could’ve been fair without the context of how the church handled him and the women. The judge walked a fun line and tried to keep it tight most likely with a view of appeal in mind. We’ll see about that but I think the real bombshells will be in the civil trial when all the documentation is out there and if everything on him can be seen.
There must have been evidence that was strong that we aren’t privy to? After all there weren’t cameras in the courtroom, and I don’t believe all the details of the trial were released? I’m probably in the minority but I don’t like Danny Masterson, he just gives me an ick vibe, I’ve always felt that way, even before the charges came out. That’s just a gut feeling and it could be wrong, not all gut feelings are correct. I watched the documentary on Scientology and I wholeheartedly believe that they tried to suppress the alleged victims from coming forward.
Rapists are known to construct a false image to hide that dark side of themselves and victims of sexual abuse are often coerced into silence. Family, spouses, colleagues and longtime friends wouldn’t know about such transgressions. To my knowledge, rape cannot be ruled out just because of a romantic relationship status and SA victims often can’t backup claims. And lastly, the Church of Scientology is being exposed more and more for protecting sexual predators/abusers.
This is truly a difficult one for me personally because I know too many sexual predators walking free due to lack of evidence and coercion.
I do not believe he did it. I read tony Ortega’ said Substack daily for both trials and they were VASTLY different trials. I believe he may have been an arrogant asshole to his girlfriend and I believe he may have felt entitled at the time. When you know better, you do better rings so loudly to me in these stories. It seems like he was young, they were all drinking, they made bad decisions and didn’t like that he didn’t fall in love with them. I get it. I’ve been there. I’ve also had boyfriends that when we had sex it didn’t feel great and they thought only about themselves. I’ve woken up from a messy drunken escapade in my 20’s having slept with a friend and thinking we were going to fall in love and it would be magical and I’ve also woken up and thought oh bloody hell what did I do now? I’ve been embarrassed by an asshole or 10, and they’ve grown up and I’ve grown up and they don’t act that way anymore.
They just convicted a man of being an immature asshole 23 years ago. Watch your boys because apparently every mistake they make will haunt them for their ENTIRE life and they could die in prison for poor judgement and disrespecting someone years ago.
Most victims of rape and incest don’t come forward ... at least not right away. That is why there has to be extended statute of limitations.
These women were part of the cult of Scientology ... I believe them when they say they were threatened to keep quiet. They also faced expulsion from their cult, their families, their life long friends, the only way of life they have ever known...not much wonder they waited so long. The same type of expulsion can be faced by victims of incest - they can lose their entire family.
There may not be physical evidence but these women told people in their lives who could testify on their behalf. There often isn’t in people who report immediately as a persons first instinct is to wash the perpetrator off their skin.
People who have never experienced sexual assault, rape, incest etc themselves have no idea the way a person feels afterward; the PTSD they experience for the rest of their lives. If statistics are true, at least 1 in 3 women (or more) have been the victim of sexual assault, abuse, rape etc. The majority of them never come forward and many of the comments being made here are the reason why.
Personally, I am pleased to see that a rapist is getting a sentence commensurate with at least part of the number of years a victim deals with the after math of being raped.