On July 2, Australia’s 7News teased an upcoming ten-part news investigation about the Church of Scientology that would feature specific allegations about actor Tom Cruise and his personal connections to the church’s well-known penchant for bullying, spying, and intimidation.
The series, titled “Scientology: Black Ops,” was scheduled to be released on July 9, and then was delayed until July 14. And then at the last minute the series was canceled and the teaser trailer was pulled down from the network’s website, something we first reported here at the Underground Bunker.
Asked for comment, a 7News representative responded with the cryptic statement, “7NEWS adjusted the scheduling of the series of its own volition and due to legal concerns.”
Now, one of the participants in that series, Leah Remini, is telling us what was in the program and why, she believes, it was killed.
At the center of it, she says, is Tom Cruise and a side of him the public almost never sees.
“This show had been legally vetted since January by Channel 7. Up to ten hours before it was going to air, it was still scheduled to go. The last-minute decision to kill it has Tom Cruise, Tom Davis, and James Packer written all over it,” Leah tells the Underground Bunker.
Cruise has been a Scientologist since 1986 and is its most visible figure. In 2001, he helped Australian billionaire James Packer through a difficult period in his life, which included helping him get enrolled at Scientology’s flagship Narconon drug rehab in Oklahoma. Packer was then involved in Scientology for about five years, and you can see him in the front row at the October 2004 event when Cruise was awarded the “Freedom Medal of Valor” for being such a gung-ho church member.
Standing next to Packer is Tommy Davis, the son of actress Anne Archer who was Cruise’s go-fer and who became Scientology’s international spokesman for a few years. During Packer’s time in the church, the three became close…
Packer left Scientology around 2006, Davis lost his job as spokesman in 2011 but remains in the church according to a 2013 deposition, and Cruise remains Scientology’s chief icon.
Although Packer was out of Scientology, in 2016 he made Davis the general manager of his US operations, including RatPac Entertainment, a small Hollywood studio he owned with director Brett Ratner. But even as Davis was playing Hollywood mogul for Packer, the Australian billionaire was going through difficult times again, including a crackdown on his gambling operations by the Chinese government, and a break up with his fiancée, singer Mariah Carey. Packer sold his part of the movie studio, and Davis then went back to work for a real estate mogul, Tom Barrack Jr.
Packer’s struggles, meanwhile, elicited the help of another powerful figure: Kerry Stokes, chairman of Seven West Media, which owns 7News.
“Seven West Media’s billionaire chairman Kerry Stokes came to the aid of James Packer in his darkest hour, briefly taking control of his personal affairs and convincing the casino mogul to leave the United States for Israel for sake of his mental health,” Financial Review reported about Packer’s disastrous 2016.
The story described how Stokes helped Packer extricate himself from the planned wedding with Carey, and then encouraged him to leave the US to find “breathing space” in Israel. Stokes said that Packer was extremely loyal to his friends. “If James thinks you are his friend he will bestow gifts and look after you like most other people wouldn’t,” the Seven West Media chairman said.
On July 14, “Scientology:Black Ops” was scheduled to air on Stokes’ network and it would harshly expose Packer’s friends, Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis, with new revelations about how they had taken part in Scientology’s legendary “Fair Game” campaigns against people the church considered enemies.
Because the series was approved by the network’s lawyers but then pulled at the last moment, Leah says she suspects that Packer went on behalf of his friends to Stokes to get the series killed, which is also what we heard from a source at 7News itself.
“I also subscribe to this theory on Channel 7. We know the series had legal clearance,” Leah Remini’s TV co-host and podcast partner Mike Rinder says.
The two of them were interviewed by 7News journalist Bryan Seymour for the 10-part series, and full disclosure, Seymour also interviewed us in December to help explain Scientology’s history of Fair Game retaliation schemes and spying.
Seymour, with Remini and Rinder’s help, was poised to reveal that Cruise and Davis had been involved in a plot to dig up dirt on a legendary Hollywood figure close to Cruise in order to silence her, and Davis had also tried to compromise a major Hollywood institution in order to find similar material on another film figure.
Remini isn’t happy that the series didn’t air, but she tells us something she’s never made public before: Much of this material was included in a draft of what became her 2015 memoir Troublemaker: Surviving Scientology and Hollywood.
Leah showed us pages she had written that detailed a side of Cruise the public hasn’t seen, and that implicated him in Scientology’s worst practices.
So why wasn’t it in her book?
“My publisher said it wasn’t a good look for a celebrity to go after another celebrity like that, so we didn’t put it in the book,” she says.
But now, with her belief that Cruise may have had a direct role in killing the 7News investigation, she’s decided it’s time for the public to see what she wrote about Cruise for her book and never published.
It’s going to appear in the Underground Bunker tomorrow morning.
——————–
Another orbit around the sun for Miss Lovely herself!
The Underground Bunker wishes a happy birthday to Paulette Cooper, our main inspiration for the work we do around here and the subject of our book The Unbreakable Miss Lovely.
Her husband Paul Noble recently posted this photo from their 1988 wedding and we thought it was adorable, so here you go.
You’ll be able to hear about Paulette’s years of fighting against Scientology Fair Game soon on Leah Remini’s new podcast.
——————–
Bonus items from our tipsters
A million dollars lying around? Sure, only in Scientology…
——————–
“We’re trying to make somebody Clear. Clear of what? Clear of his reactive bank. Now, Freud said that man had an unconscious or a reconscious or something of the sort which was subconscious under the underconscious. He thought there was something there and it was inhabited by a beast known as the censor, who kept the fellows from pulling a social faux pas. And when the censor was asleep or nulled or something of the sort by drugs, why, the fellow would do antisocial acts, and that was the whole explanation of the human mind, except it was all caused by sex. I hope you’re following me closely. But anyhow, we are actually indebted to Papa Freud, because he did say out loud that there was some kind of a mind that was kicking back on somebody. He didn’t really discover the reactive mind; we did.” — L. Ron Hubbard, July 26, 1966
——————–
“The Internet is an excellent way to collect up identities and to offer such identities books and services. But going internationally, targeting new people to Scientology is an entirely different game. The Miscavige problem would have to be under control. The Church image, or rather Scientology image internationally speaking, has to be rehabilitated first and Scientology re-positioned in the public’s mind. A lot of PR work would have to be accomplished first on the media, and the church and Miscavige positioned as something entirely different than the original tenets of LRH. In other words, as not Scientology. Then the general public, at least 80 percent of them, would support the Independent Movement as something really representing greater freedom for the individual.”
——————–
“Jan Eastgate is the Myra Hindley of scientology. She looks just like her.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Arraignment scheduled for September 18.
— Jay Spina, Medicare fraud: Sentencing is set for August 27 in White Plains, NY
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments set for August 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Sept 4 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021
——————–
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?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Happy Birthday, Miss Lovely! And look what Paulette Cooper gave herself for a gift
[TWO years ago] Paulette Cooper turns 76: ‘I found my best friend from the orphanage — from 70 years ago’
[THREE years ago] Paulette Cooper at 75: Still unbreakable, and still Miss Lovely
[FOUR years ago] Hungarian tabloid’s wacky claim: Shit poured on Scientology’s leader in Budapest protest
[FIVE years ago] Happy Birthday, Miss Lovely: A tribute to the dauntless and unbreakable Paulette Cooper
[SIX years ago] Scientology surrenders — at least partially — in seven lawsuits against its rehab network
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology, Your Proprietor, and the Airwaves
[EIGHT years ago] Jamie DeWolf, L. Ron Hubbard Great-Grandson, Gaining More Notoriety for His Views on Scientology
[NINE years ago] Scientology Apocalypse! Mark Bunker and Marty Rathbun Reveal Their Ties
——————–
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,010 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,514 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,034 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,054 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 945 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,252 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,120 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,894 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,698 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,014 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,580 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,499 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,667 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,248 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,509 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,547 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,260 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,785 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,315 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,875 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,015 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,335 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,190 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,309 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,665 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,968 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,074 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,476 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,348 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,931 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,426 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,680 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,789 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on July 26, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), 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, 14 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
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
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 | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
