Danny Masterson of That '70s Show and The Ranch made headlines back in 2017 for reasons that had nothing to do with his comedic roles. The actor was accused of sexual assault by multiple women, who all alleged that he assaulted them in the early 2000s. The case was set to be examined in an episode of Leah Remini's Scientology and the Aftermath, but the episode has not aired yet, and A&E may have shelved it altogether.
The unaired episode features interviews with Danny Masterson's accusers. One of these accusers reportedly stated that letters were circulated by Scientology to press A&E and Disney into taking the show off the air, according to The Daily Beast. The same source allegedly claimed that at least one of the letters was forged and that people involved with the episode experienced attacks from Scientology.
Danny Masterson is a member of the church of Scientology, so it was not a surprise that Leah Remini would cover his case as part of Scientology and the Aftermath. Rumblings that the episode has been shelved stem from reports that it had been set to air on A&E on February 18, and sources close to the production allegedly confirmed the February air date.
According to A&E, however, the episode never made it to the schedule for February 18, and the "information" circulating was not accurate. A&E says that no air date has been set.
Given that the episode filmed way back in 2017, there is the question of why it has not aired by this point in 2019. Although no official statement was released by Leah Remini, Scientology and the Aftermath co-host Mike Rinder, or the Los Angeles District Attorney's office, the episode's airing was allegedly delayed back in 2017 when the DA was concerned about it debuting when the case against Danny Masterson was still developing, and Remini reportedly gained A&E's approval to hold the episode for a time.
Despite this, A&E reportedly decided that the time had come for the episode to hit the airwaves, leading to the purported February 18 premiere date. At the time of writing A&E still has not confirmed when the Danny Masterson episode of Scientology and the Aftermath will air. That's not to say that it was shelved from a February premiere date or that it will never air; A&E may simply have indeed never settled on an official slot, and reports of the February debut were never accurate.
All we can say for sure with regard to Scientology and the Aftermath is that the wait for the Danny Masterson episode continues. As for Danny Masterson's career, he was fired from The Ranch, on which he had starred with former That '70s Show pal Ashton Kutcher. Dax Shepard was cast after the firing, and Netflix wrapped up Masterson's character's story in a surprisingly brutal way. Masterson asked fans to support the show without him.
As for Leah Remini, her show has been a huge hit for A&E, although they were blamed back in January for inciting a murder. Whether or not the Danny Masterson episode sees the light of day remains the be seen; the odds of Remini's show staying on the air are probably pretty good. Only time will tell what's in store. For some viewing options in the coming weeks, check out our midseason TV premiere schedule.
