An Aussie rugby league great has died without being able to speak to his children in almost 20 years, including disgraced actor Danny Masterson who has been jailed for rape.
Joe Reaiche was an Australian rugby league player who competed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, primarily as a fullback and winger.
It has now been confirmed that Reaiche died suddenly while travelling on a business trip earlier this month. He was 66.
And he died without any contact with his former wife, children and closest friends who are all part of the Church of Scientology.
Reaiche played for several teams, including the Eastern Suburbs Roosters, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and South Sydney Rabbitohs, in the New South Wales Rugby League which would later become the NRL.
During his career, he was known for his versatility and scoring ability, particularly during his time with the Roosters.
Reaiche later became involved with the Church of Scientology in the 1980s, which significantly influenced his personal life, leading to estrangement from his family after leaving the church.
Joe Reaiche has died age 66 after a career playing rugby league and his rise and ex-communication from the Church of Scientology
Reaiche was the step-father of Hollywood actor Danny Masterson who has been jailed after being found guilty of raping two women
Reaiche joined at 20 and quickly advanced, becoming a fully qualified counselor and reaching Operating Thetan (OT) 7, the highest rank in the Sea Org, by age 23.
The Sea Org is a dedicated and highly ranked group within the church, often described as its clergy, where members commit to a lifetime of service.
Reaiche previously spoke about how the church actively targeted him because he was playing for the Rabbitohs at the time, Australia’s biggest rugby league club.
He followed them, believing their promises that they would be able to turn him into a super human or super athlete.
‘That sounds f***ing crazy saying it … but at that time it seemed almost too unreal for it to be unreal. You wouldn’t think that anyone behind this organisation would be deceiving you,’ he said in 2015.
‘There was no Internet, no blogging, no cell phones. If someone told you something there was no way to verify it or look it up.’
Reaiche turned whistleblower on the Church of Scientology in 2005 and was cut off from talking to his family and friends as a result
Reaiche’s former wife Carol with her eldest children Danny and Chris when they were children
He married Danny’s mother, Carol, in 1985, becoming a 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. All use their mother’s name in a sign of the estrangement from their father.
Joe always considered Danny his full son and died with a broken heart after his atrocious crimes and the move that cut the former footballer off 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 it attempted to silence them.
Despite a previous mistrial due to a deadlocked jury, the retrial resulted in a conviction on two counts, although the jury couldn’t reach a verdict on a third allegation involving Masterson’s former girlfriend.
Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for his crimes.
Carole with the Masterson siblings, Alanna, Jordan, Danny and Chris. All were estranged from Reaiche because he was declared a ‘suppressive person’ by Scientology
During his 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 the time, Reaiche emerged as a whistleblower, where he publicly criticised Scientology’s practices, including their policies on disconnection and financial exploitation.
He appeared on national television in Australia and contributed to investigative works, striving to expose the church’s operations and caution others about its impact.
But it cost him his family, with the church forcing them to sever ties with the Aussie before he even knew it was happening.
‘I called some of my buddies of 20, 25 years. No one responds. That’s weird. I call my kids. No one responds,’ he said in an interview with The Times..
The next day he received the letter.
‘They let everyone else know that I was declared except me,’ Reaiche recalled. ‘All of a sudden, overnight, it’s like they all died.’ ‘When it happened, I cried. It’s my kids. I raised my children and now they’ve turned against their dad,’ Reaiche said.
‘Not because of my decision, but because of the church’s decision. That’s 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 bloke & full of fun always lit up a room. Had the privilege of attending school with Joe and playing beside him. RIP Mate,’ posted another.