In November 2018, your proprietor got to see an episode of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath that ended up never airing. And the hell of it is, it was maybe the best episode Leah and Mike had ever done.
It was thrilling. And scary. And infuriating. And it had its start here at the Underground Bunker, actually.
Back in May 2018, we shared with you a letter that Tammy Clark received from her uncle, Heber Jentzsch.
At one time, Heber was one of the most recognizable faces in Scientology. In the 1980s and into the 1990s, he was more than just a spokesman for Scientology, he was an ambassador for it, and he developed real relationships with journalists, some of whom still, to this day, tell us they miss interacting with him.
But at some point, as it happens to all officials in Scientology, he ran afoul of ultimate leader David Miscavige, who then banished him to the Hole in 2004 along with other top lieutenants. He’s rarely been seen since.
His niece Tammy was just wondering what happened to him, and was surprised to get that letter. She was suspicious about it. It sounded like someone else had written it for him.
Then, after Valerie Haney escaped from the base where Heber was in the Hole — Gold Base near Hemet, California — she brought out word in 2017 that Heber was doing badly, and that he had to be propped up to pretend to be healthy for some video that was made.
So Leah Remini and Mike Rinder decided to make an episode of ‘Aftermath’ by taking Tammy Clark to see her uncle. What unfolded, with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office playing foil, was scary and crazy-making. We’ll let you hear the story from Leah and Mike in their newest podcast. But what made the episode thrilling, for example, was that one of the Sheriff’s office employees agreed to speak — just off camera, concealing their identity — in order to confirm what Leah and Mike knew, that the Sheriff’s Office was complicit with Scientology and essentially terrified of trying to police the base.
And even scarier: After their failed attempt to see Heber, Tammy herself became the target of a frightening Fair Game campaign by Scientology, and we saw Mike taking calls from her that was some of the best footage in the series.
Well, this is a great use of the new podcast, to do those things they were unable to do on television. Let’s talk about it!
Also, here’s a cool new trailer for the podcast, explaining what Fair Game is…
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Your proprietor on the airwaves
Seth Andrews invited us back and we had a fun conversation with him.
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“Dianetics has probably got more history per square inch connected with it than any other activity that’s ever occurred on this planet. The planet has really never recovered from the impact. That’s the truth of the matter. Along about ’51 or something like that I stopped shoving Dianetics as such, you see, why it sort of left the missing step at the bottom of the steps, you know, sort of feeling. It gives very definite, if somewhat superficial, clues to human behavior. I say somewhat superficially —it’s hilarious, you know, sometimes, somebody trying to find his aberrations in this lifetime. This poor bloke that just went on a mad jihad or amok —that’s the word. The Malays go amok. And we had an American university boy go amok the other day and got up in the tower of the University of Texas and slaughtered a lot of people with rifles and that sort of thing. It was interesting to me that he’d just been to see a psychiatrist. Told the psychiatrist all about it, that he had impulses to do it and so forth. And the psychiatrist said, ‘Good boy.’ And the fellow didn’t turn up for his next appointment. The psychiatrist never much bothered about it and then he went out and killed about 39 people or, I don’t know what the figure was, 14 or something like that. But it was interesting to me just as a little side comment, that if you read carefully into such cases — movie star commits suicide — just been to see a psychiatrist.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 4, 1966
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“What I find interesting is how critics focus on small details of Ron’s life and try and discredit him with ‘lies’ about them. I don’t care if he went to a particular university or not. These are teeny, unimportant details compared to the unbelievably inhuman ability to put together a whole body of workable tech that is mindblowing.”
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“He needs to do a comeback flick, something full of pathos that will tug at people’s heartstrings like ‘Fresh Prince: Down and Out In Bel Air’.”
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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 and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s 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
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 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
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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] Scientologist-led anti-vaxx ‘Conscience Coalition’ is off to a humble start
[TWO years ago] Ron Miscavige: ‘When I look back, it reminds me of stories I heard of the Stasi in East Germany’
[THREE years ago] Almost four years after its grand opening, a new look inside Scientology’s ‘Super Power’
[FOUR years ago] Nancy Cartwright’s ‘defense’ of Scientology is the saddest thing ever
[FIVE years ago] London! And a member of government asks us, what can we do about Scientology?
[SIX years ago] Scientology’s newest testimonials video is everything you want it to be
[SEVEN years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology Puts the Fun in Fundraising!
[EIGHT years ago] Chick Corea, Heber Jentzsch, Ingo Swann, and Scientology’s 1977 OT Summit!
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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 2,019 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,523 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,043 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,063 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 954 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,261 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,129 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,903 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,707 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,023 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,589 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,508 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,676 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,257 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,518 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,556 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,269 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,794 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,324 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,884 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,024 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,344 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,199 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,318 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,674 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,977 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,083 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,485 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,357 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,940 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,435 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,689 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,798 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 4, 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
