A great Australian rugby league player died without being able to speak to his children for almost 20 years, including actor Danny Masterson, jailed for rape.
Joe Reaiche was an Australian rugby league player who competed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, primarily as a full-back and winger.
It has now been confirmed that Reaiche died suddenly while on a business trip earlier this month. He was 66 years old.
And he died without any contact with his ex-wife, his children and his closest friends, all of whom were part of the Church of Scientology.
Reaiche played for several teams, including Eastern Suburbs Roosters, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and South Sydney Rabbitohs, in the New South Wales Rugby League, which later became the NRL.
During his career, he was known for his versatility and scoring ability, particularly during his time with the Roosters.
Reaiche subsequently became involved with the Church of Scientology in the 1980s, which significantly influenced his personal life, leading him to distance himself from his family after leaving the church.
Joe Reaiche died aged 66 after a career playing rugby league and his rise and excommunication from the Church of Scientology.
Reaiche was the stepfather of Hollywood actor Danny Masterson, who has been jailed after being convicted of raping two women.
Reaiche joined at age 20 and advanced quickly, becoming a fully qualified counselor and reaching Operational Thetan (OT) 7, the highest rank in the Sea Org, at age 23.
The Sea Org is a dedicated, high-ranking group within the church, often described as its clergy, where members commit to a life of service.
Reaiche previously spoke about how the church actively targeted him because he played for the Rabbitohs at the time, Australia’s biggest rugby league club.
He followed them, believing their promises that they could turn him into a super human or a super athlete.
“It sounds fucking crazy to say it… but at the time it seemed almost too unreal to be.” “You wouldn’t think that someone behind this organization would be deceiving you,” he said in 2015.
‘There was no Internet, no blogs, no mobile phones. If someone told you something there was no way to verify it or look it up.’
Reaiche became a whistleblower for the Church of Scientology in 2005 and was prevented from speaking to her family and friends as a result.
Reaiche’s ex-wife Carol with her older sons, Danny and Chris, when they were children.
He married Danny’s mother, Carol, in 1985, becoming part of the Masterson family.
During their marriage, Joe and Carol had two children together, making Danny and his siblings part of a blended family.
In total there are four siblings, all Hollywood actors, Alanna, Danny, Christopher and Jordan Masterson. They all use their mother’s name as a sign of distancing themselves from their father.
Joe always considered Danny his full son and died heartbroken after his heinous crimes and the move that isolated the former footballer from his friends and family.
Danny Masterson was found guilty of raping two women during a retrial, with the charges stemming from incidents that took place between 2001 and 2003.
The trial highlighted the involvement of the Church of Scientology, as the women who accused Masterson had connections to the church and claimed he was trying to silence them.
Despite an earlier mistrial due to a deadlocked jury, the retrial resulted in a conviction on two charges, although the jury was unable to reach a verdict on a third charge involving Masterson’s ex-girlfriend.
Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for his crimes.
Carole with the Masterson siblings, Alanna, Jordan, Danny and Chris. Everyone distanced themselves from Reaiche because he was declared a ‘repressive person’ by Scientology
During the trial, Danny’s siblings and mothers sat in the front seats to support him. But Joe was nowhere to be seen because the Church of Scientology had excommunicated him in 2005.
At that time, Reaiche emerged as a whistleblower, where he publicly criticized Scientology’s practices, including its policies of disconnection and financial exploitation.
He appeared on Australian national television and contributed to investigative work, striving to expose the church’s operations and warn others of their impact.
But it cost his family, and the church forced them to cut ties with the Australian before he even knew what was happening.
‘I called some of my friends who were 20, 25 years old. Nobody answers. That’s weird. I call my children. Nobody answers,’ he said in an interview with The Times.
The next day he received the letter.
“They let everyone else know I was declared except me,” Reaiche recalled. “Suddenly, overnight, it’s like everyone died.” ‘When it happened, I cried. They are my children. “I raised my children and now they have turned against their father,” Reaiche said.
‘Not because of my decision, but because of the church’s decision. That is the evil of disconnection.”
His death has left many in Australian rugby league circles in mourning.
“A great person, our family has known Joe since the old CBHS Lewisham days, very sad news, rest in peace Joe,” one posted.
‘Choc was a great guy and full of fun he always lit up a room. I had the privilege of attending school with Joe and playing alongside him. RIP mate,” posted another.
