The Church of Scientology has notified three women, each of them former Scientologists who say they were raped by Scientologist actor
Danny Masterson and have sued the actor and the church, that it plans to derail their lawsuit and force them into Scientology's brand of internal arbitration, citing contracts they signed as members years and even decades ago.
The three women who are former Scientologists —
Chrissie Carnell Bixler and two women we refer to as Victim B and Victim C — filed their lawsuit in August. A fourth woman,
Bobette Riales, who was never a Scientologist, joined them as a plaintiff, and Bixler's husband, rocker
Cedric Bixler-Zavala, who is a former Scientologist, is also suing over the harassment he says the couple has experienced since Chrissie came forward with her allegations. The lawsuit targets Masterson for alleged rapes that occurred between
2001 and
2004, and it also names the Church of Scientology and its leader
David Miscavige for the harassment campaign that allegedly happened more recently.
Scientology's initial response to the lawsuit was to move to quash it and seek sanctions, saying the attempt to serve the defendants was "fraudulent." Those motions are scheduled to be heard on February 4.