Church of Scientology's 'Amicus' Brief for Jailed Danny Masterson Rejected... After They Claimed Disgraced Actor's 'Religious Rights Were Violated'
Danny Masterson was declared by the Church of Scientology as a 'suppressive person.'
Dec. 11 2025, Published 5:40 p.m. ET
Actor Danny Masterson is currently appealing his conviction for r----g two women, and an amicus brief the Church of Scientology submitted on his behalf has been turned down, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
An amicus brief, also known as a "friend of the court" brief, is a legal document filed by an interested party who isn't directly involved in a court case.
The Church of Scientology's Amicus Brief
An appellate court turned down the Church of Scientology's amicus brief.
The goal of an amicus brief, which is a common document in high-level appellate courts, is to give relevant information/expertise/perspective to help the court make a decision.
According to Scientology whistleblower Tony Ortega, the Church of Scientology filed one for Masterson's appeal and was turned down.
On his Substack, Ortega described the document as a 92-page "long tantrum by church leader David Miscavige" that the court wanted no part of.
As for why the appellate court threw the document down the proverbial drain, Ortega revealed there was no explanation, but noted how quickly it was rejected.
The Church of Scientoloy Still Supports Danny Masterson
The amicus brief proved the church of Scientology has not distanced itself from Masterson.
As Ortega noted, even with the brief being turned down, it's evident how much the Church of Scientology still supports Masterson. He cites the evidence they likely spent a substantial amount of money on preparing the legal document that alleged Masteron's "religious rights were violated" and also "smeared the Jane Doe victims in the process."
As Radar reported, regardless of tabloid claims saying Scientology had declared Masterson a "suppressive person," which is the church's form of excommunication, the amicus brief proved the church had not distanced itself from him.
The docket at the 2nd Appellate District court of appeals in Los Angeles, obtained by Rob Shuter and shared on his Substack, notes, "This is the most definitive evidence yet that Scientology has not dropped its support of the That '70s Show actor and that it has not 'declared' him a 'suppressive person.'"
Another Amicus Brief
Danny Masterson was a member of the Church of Scientology.
Aside from Scientology's amicus brief, Ortega claimed an amicus brief sent in by 14 separate religious groups was also thrown out.
"Whenever the freedom of religion is at issue in a case, the rights and interests of many religious institutions are at issue as well," their amicus brief read. "While amici take no position on the guilt or innocence of Masterson, they have a strong interest in any case that relies so heavily on the religion of the parties involved for its result.
"Each of the above parties will be impacted by the constitutional rights violations in the Masterson case as the case will substantially chill important constitutional rights and their abilities to conduct their religion or activities as promised by the U.S. Constitution – free from government entanglement or bias."
Danny Masterson's Appeal
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Danny Masterson was convicted in 2023.
Masterson was convicted on May 31, 2023, and sentenced in September of that year.
Cliff Gardner, his attorney, is seeking to overturn the conviction. He argues that Masterson's constitutional rights were violated when the trial court allowed extensive testimony about Scientology during the second trial.
Prosecutors, on the other hand, felt the testimony was critical in explaining why the Jane Doe victims delayed reporting the incident, as they were nervous of retaliation under church policy.
Judge Charlaine Olmedo allowed for the evidence to be heard, with the outcome being that Scientology's internal rules were directly relevant to the victims' credibility and behavior.
"There was substantial testimony about Scientology in the first trial, which ended in a hung jury," the appeal filing alleges.
While the appeal is being prepared, the state attorney general has urged the court to keep Masterson behind bars.
