Today, in Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Upinder Kalra’s courtroom, Scientology will be trying to derail the Bixler v. Scientology lawsuit, the one that was filed by Danny Masterson’s victims in 2019, even before he was charged criminally.
The DA’s office charged Masterson in June 2020, his trials happened in 2022 and 2023, and he was sentenced on Sept 7 to 30 years to life in prison. And now, the lawsuit filed by his victims is active again, but the Church is trying to cut it off at the knees with a motion to strike.
The victims have returned fire by posting much more detail about the harassment they allege they’ve been going through at the hands of Scientology, its leader David Miscavige, and Danny Masterson (who is now in state prison in Corcoran).
Previously, we’ve showed you the new declarations from Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2, and Jane Doe 3. And today, before this hearing starts, we’re posting the declaration of a fourth accuser, Bobette Riales, someone we’ve heard less about than the other women. Bobette did not testify in the criminal trials, but we think you’ll find her allegations interesting nonetheless.
And once again, we ask you to imagine if this information were to be presented to a jury. And we’ll wait to hear what Judge Upinder Kalra decides to do today with Scientology’s motion to strike.
DECLARATION OF MARIE BOBETTE RIALES
I, Marie Bobette Riales, declare as follows:
1. I am over the age of eighteen (18). I have personal knowledge of the facts stated below and, if called upon to do so, could and would competently testify thereto.
2. I am a Plaintiff in the case of Bixler, et al. v. Church of Scientology International, Inc., et al.
3. I submit this Declaration in Support of Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Defendants’ Special Motion to Strike Certain Allegations and Corresponding Causes of Action from the First Amended Complaint of Plaintiff Riales (“Motion”).
4. I met Daniel Masterson in or around 2002 at a party in Palm Beach, Florida, when I was working as a model. We soon began dating and spending all our time together.
5. Defendant Masterson sexually assaulted me throughout our relationship.
6. I stopped seeing Defendant Masterson in or around 2004. After I stopped seeing Defendant Masterson, Masterson continued to text, call, and leave strange voicemails for me. Masterson would tell me that I was nothing, that he had boosted my career, and that I was a liar and a whore. He also told me that his crew and friends were watching me.
7. In or around April 2017, I contacted the LAPD and reported Masterson’s assaults. Once I spoke to police, Defendants and their agents began an intense harassment campaign against me.
Instances of Physical Surveillance and Harassment
8. Approximately seven months after first reporting Masterson’s repeated sexual assaults against me to the LAPD, it was publicly leaked on Twitter that I had talked to the LAPD. Since going to the police, Defendants and their agents have frequently and consistently followed and surveilled me. I have observed on multiple occasions cars parked near my home or location and the occupants of the cars staring at me and photographing me.
9. On multiple occasions, Defendants and/or their agents followed my children while they walked home.
10. On one occasion, my neighbor observed one of Defendants’ agents in my driveway taking pictures of my food truck, car, license plates, and home and looking into the windows of the home. It appeared that the man was armed with a firearm. My neighbor confronted him, and he fled. Based on my neighbor’s description of the man, I believe the man was a known affiliate of Defendants. That night, at approximately 1:00 a.m., in a room where my 12 year-old child slept, a window was shattered.
11. On at least one occasion, I confronted Defendants’ agents standing on my property taking pictures of my home. The men fled when confronted. My neighbors have repeatedly confronted Defendants’ agents while they were surveilling my home.
12. On another occasion, shortly after speaking with police, I was at a restaurant with friends when the table next to me began taunting me by talking loudly of anal sex and rape. When I left the restaurant, the individuals at the adjacent table left and followed me to my car.
13. Since going to the authorities, Defendants agents have repeatedly stolen my trash and my parents’ trash.
14. On several occasions, I found all the doors of my car had been opened.
15. One evening, I found a shoe print on my front door and damage to the door’s threshold, which appeared to be the result of someone trying to kick open my door.
16. I have owned and operated a food truck since 2017. On multiple occasions, Defendants and/or their agents attempted to break into my food truck and have otherwise vandalized the food truck.
17. In or around July 2018, I went on vacation with my children to a seaside location on the East Coast. Every evening, I observed people on a nearby balcony taking photos of me.
18. Since around December 2018 through the present, I have observed people outside my home at all hours who would remain near my property and watch me. If I left my property, they would follow me.
19. On or around December 2019, I was in my home when I discovered the outside of my home had been set on fire. An initial investigation by the Evansville, Indiana Fire Department revealed that the fire was intentionally set and that there were no human factors on the part of myself to explain the origin of the fire.
20. In or around February 2020, I observed a woman sitting outside my home for over nine hours surveilling me and my home.
21. Also in or around February 2020, my dog became violently ill. I contacted a veterinarian who examined the dog and told me the dog had been poisoned.
22. In or around Fall 2020, six people wearing earpieces followed me and my 11-year-old daughter at a large department store, causing my daughter to have a panic attack.
23. Additionally, on many occasions, I have been followed by strangers throughout my town or to the homes of my friends and family.
Instances of Electronic and Online Harassment
24. I have received numerous threatening online messages from Defendants’ agents on social media.
25. My phone and computer have been hacked repeatedly, and I have experienced technological issues with various devices I have purchased. Accounts belonging to me, including my email account, have been hacked, and photos and other documents have been deleted from my electronic devices.
26. Also, in or around 2023, I was the subject of attempted blackmail, with the blackmailer threatening to publish prurient videos of me if I did not pay millions of dollars. I understood the blackmailer to be an affiliate of Defendants.
27. In or around 2016, I started an online business using Amazon.com as a marketplace to sell clothing. My Amazon account was hacked and shipments were not made (despite my account indicating they were made), resulting in the loss of customers and product, and ultimately resulting in the destruction of my business.
28. Defendants and their agents posted false reviews about my food truck business and attempted to list my food truck for sale.
29. Beginning in or around late 2018, the Vanderburgh County office of the Indiana Department of Child Services received one or more anonymous calls alleging that I was abusing and/or neglecting my children. These allegations were false, but nonetheless resulted in a lengthy investigation of me. After numerous court hearings, no adverse action was taken against me.
30. In or around September and October 2018, Defendants’ agent Kathy Gold started publicly threatening me and the other Plaintiffs, and their relatives. Gold accused me and the other Plaintiffs of being religious bigots and liars and threatened to commit serious and violent crimes against us, including murder. A true and correct copy of one of Gold’s threats against me and the other Plaintiffs is attached hereto as Exhibit A.
31. In or around June 2023, shortly after Defendant Masterson was convicted, a known agent of Scientology tweeted about me and the other Plaintiffs:
Because those 3 women implied drug use by Masterson, every Scientologist in LA now knows they were lying. Scientologists just don’t use drugs. Every Scientologist who recognizes these women will spit on them, for the rest of their lives. I sure wouldn’t want to be them.
A true and correct copy of this tweet is attached hereto as Exhibit B.
32. Later that day, the same known agent of Scientology tweeted:
Since these women live in LA and there are thousands of Scientologists in every walk of life in LA, the three women who lied in the Danny Masterson case will get spit on a lot. I don’t think they will take it out on the jury or judge since these were just fooled and manipulated by a false “expert witness”. But the 4 women will live in hell, now and for the rest of their lives.
A true and correct copy of this tweet is attached hereto as Exhibit C.
Emotional Distress Resulting from Defendants’ Conduct
33. As a result of the foregoing, I continue to be in fear for my life and the safety of my family. I have suffered from stress, emotional strain, anxiety, panic, depression, fatigue, insomnia, and body aches.
34. On multiple occasions, I told individual that were harassing me to cease their actions and have gone to law enforcement about the harassment. I also believe my responses, reactions, and actions, including the filing of this Complaint in or around August 2019, made it clear to the Defendants that I wanted them to stop harassing me. In any event, I believe that my safety and the safety of my family would be in jeopardy if I made additional attempts to directly confront Defendants’ agents regarding their harassing conduct.
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.
Executed on this 8th day of January, 2024, at Evansville, Indiana.
Marie Bobette Riales
Chris Shelton is going Straight Up and Vertical
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Logic escapes Scientology: They are lying about rape because Scientologists aren’t allowed to use drugs.
Scn harasses, intimidates, poisons, destroys personal property, slanders and libels in order to destroy a person's life, and then goes into court to deny this? Lawyers paid big money to lie about what the founder (LRH) instructed in Scn policy how and what must be done in order to handle someone antagonistic to their organization. Brown Shirts in Hitler's Germany did these things. Mafia do this. Criminals do these kinds of things. There's damn policy on these things and they boldly deny this! Their entire organization is founded on DESTROYING any opposition. WHAT REAL CHURCH DOES THIS! I don't understand how any court of law allows this to continue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!