Danny Masterson presents an award onstage during the CMT Music...

Danny Masterson presents an award onstage during the CMT Music Awards in Nashville on June 6, 2017. Credit: Getty Images for CMT / Mike Coppola

Long Island-raised actor Danny Masterson has responded to a lawsuit filed by four women contending the former "That '70s Show" star has been stalking and harassing them following their rape accusations in 2016 and 2017.

"This is beyond ridiculous," Masterson, 43, originally of Garden City and East Willison, said in a statement through his attorney, Andrew Brettler. "I'm not going to fight my ex-girlfriend in the media like she's been baiting me to do for more than two years," he continued. It was unclear if he were referring to musician Chrissie Carnell Bixler, whom he dated in the 1990s and early 2000s, or actress and food-truck owner Bobette Riales, whom he dated circa 2003.

"I will beat her in court — and look forward to it because the public will finally be able learn the truth and see how I've been railroaded by this woman," the statement continued. "And once her lawsuit is thrown out, I intend to sue her and the others who jumped on the bandwagon for the damage they caused me and my family."

Riales and Bixler, along with the latter's husband, rocker Cedric Bixler, and two unidentified women filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Riales' attorney, Stew Ryan, confirmed to Newsday. Also named in the suit were The Church of Scientology, to which Masterson belongs, as well as two related entities and church leader David Miscavige.

Brettler told Newsday on Thursday that his firm had not yet "been served with a summons and complaint."

The Church of Scientology's litigation counsel, William Forman, said in a statement, "From everything we have read in the press, this baseless lawsuit will go nowhere because the claims are ludicrous and a sham. It's a dishonest and hallucinatory publicity stunt."

In March 2017, the Los Angeles Police Department announced it was investigating the actor after three women said they were sexually assaulted by Masterson during the early 2000s. Two more women, including Riales, later came forward. Because of the allegations, Masterson was removed from the cast of the Netflix series "The Ranch."

Masterson has denied the allegations and has never been arrested or charged.

"It's OK if you're afraid," Carnell Bixler tweeted Thursday. "Fear has nothing to do with courage. Be brave! Use your voice. Silence only protects abusers, and the abusers are more afraid than we could ever be. It is the truth that they fear and it's is the truth we must force them to confront."

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