The news of Tiponi Grey’s death came as a real shock to Scientology and the Aftermath watchers, who were informed of it with the words “In Memoriam” at the end of the episode she appeared in that aired on December 11.
We quickly put together a story that night, getting confirmation from Ishmael Bey, another guest on the show, that he had learned from Tiponi’s daughter that she had died of natural causes. We also found evidence in Tiponi’s social media feeds that she had been dealing with some health issues.
But readers have naturally been curious to know more about Tiponi’s fate, and have asked us how a 50-year-old woman dies of “natural causes.” So we kept trying, and we did manage to reach Tiponi’s daughter and had a conversation with her about her mom.
She tells us that Tiponi had a lifelong health condition that she knew would likely cause her to have an early death.
“She’s been ill since she was little. She had a bad heart. She had three strokes and two heart attacks in her lifetime. She had three stents holding her heart together, and had numerous other things wrong as well,” her daughter, 19, tells us.
Despite that history, Tiponi never seemed to slow down. “She never acted sick. You couldn’t tell because all she did was work.”
Tiponi came to our attention in 2016, when she posted a short video announcing that she had quit her job working for the Church of Scientology. She explained to us that what had turned her off on Scientology was that it had built a center in a working class area of Southern California in a pretty obvious attempt to get more Black membership, but it was completely uninterested in doing things that might actually improve the lives of people in that neighborhood.
“It’s too much about money. You can’t call yourself a church and that’s your main purpose,” she told us. We were happy to see that Leah Remini had her on an episode, which was taped in July.
Tiponi died on November 4, before the episode aired.
Besides a daughter, Tiponi also had two older sons, and six grandchildren — four boys and two girls.
“She loved her children and her grandchildren most of all in this world. Everything she did was for us,” her daughter says.
We told her how sorry we were that she has lost her mother when she’s just a teenager herself.
“She had been preparing me. I just hated to talk about it,” she says.
She shared with us some photos from Tiponi’s service in November.
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Back to the future in South Africa
Three days after the new Advanced Org was opened in Kyalami Castle, tonight they’ll be showing video of the New Year’s Event that was actually taped on December 22 in Los Angeles. What a time warp.
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Start making your plans!
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Even in 2018, Scientology is still selling L. Ron Hubbard like he had the universe figured out
[TWO years ago] Aaron Smith-Levin appears on ‘Leah Remini,’ hours later gets own Scientology attack site
[THREE years ago] Scientology’s appeal on rehab zoning fight in Maryland to be heard today
[FOUR years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology now selling the idea it solved the Ferguson crisis
[FIVE years ago] Monique Rathbun files for sanctions, submits Scientology leader’s foul-mouthed texts
[SIX years ago] Blogging Dianetics, Part 1: Vance Woodward Helps Us Parse L. Ron Hubbard’s Masterpiece
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology in Crisis: Debbie Cook’s Transformation from Enforcer to Whistleblower
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,319 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,450 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 1,952 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,432 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 495 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 383 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,690 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,558 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,332 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,106 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,452 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,018 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 6,938 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,105 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,686 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 2,946 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 1,986 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,698 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,224 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,313 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,453 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,773 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,629 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,748 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,104 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,406 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,512 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 1,915 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,786 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,369 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,864 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,118 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,227 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on January 4, 2019 at 07:00
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Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2017 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2017), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
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Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news
