Nazanin Boniadi chides Karen Bass for ‘insufficient’ statement on Scientology speech

Of all the reactions to the controversy over possible VP choice Karen Bass’s 2010 appearance at a Scientology event, we sure didn’t see this one coming: Nazanin Boniadi, the actress who was auditioned and chosen by Scientology to date Tom Cruise in 2004, has for the first time spoken out publicly in any way about the organization she was once a part of.

Yesterday afternoon, Nazanin posted three tweets calling out Bass for the statement she made — and then corrected — about why she shared a stage with Scientology leader David Miscavige at the grand opening event for the Los Angeles “Ideal Org” on April 24, 2004…

1/ @RepBass, your statement is insufficient given the countless people who have bravely come forward to expose their personal abuses by this organization — abuses that amount to no less than oppression, at a very large scale.

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2/ @RepKarenBass, in your effusive speech at the opening of their LA headquarters you said “we must fight against oppression wherever we may find it.” Which leads me to ask: how will you stand up for those who’ve been oppressed by an organization you seem to be standing beside?

3/ @RepKarenBass, as a Congressional leader, and the chair of the CBC no less, we all expect more from you in this moment.

 
Karen Bass’s appearance at the Ideal Org event became an issue when her name emerged as one of the women being considered for running mate by presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Last week, the Daily Caller first raised the issue that Bass had helped out Scientology with the 2010 speech. We pointed out that she had also sent congratulatory messages to Scientology or its front groups in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

On Saturday, Bass put out a statement saying that she had attended the speech because it was in her district, and that although she was a Baptist, she spoke out on issues that she had in common with Scientology.

We reported on Monday, however, that when Bass gave that speech, she was the representative in California’s 47th Assembly District, and the event had taken place in the 45th District, which was represented by someone else.

So on Wednesday, Bass put out a new statement, correcting that error, and Politico reported that a spokesman for Bass admitted that he had written the mistaken statement that the event was in her district at the time.

It was to that story by Politico that Nazanin linked in her statement, saying that Bass was still not providing an adequate statement about why she was “standing beside” a group like Scientology, which works children for little or no pay, rips families apart as a method of control, and has forced young women to have abortions for decades.

 
Nazanin’s story was revealed by Maureen Orth at Vanity Fair in 2012, and then became a compelling part of the 2015 HBO movie ‘Going Clear.’ Those narratives explained that in 2004, Shelly Miscavige, leader David Miscavige’s wife, was tasked with finding Tom Cruise a new companion after he broke up with Penelope Cruz, and so actresses were called in for auditions, not knowing the true part they were trying out for. The process selected Boniadi, who was a Scientologist.

In order to convince Boniadi to ditch her boyfriend, who was also a Scientologist, confidential information in his Scientology folders was culled and shown to Nazanin in order to convince her to break up with him. After an expensive makeover paid for by Scientology, she then dated Cruise from November 2004 to January 2005.

Just last week we provided even more new information about Nazanin’s experience courtesy of Leah Remini, who told us that Nazanin complained not only about the way Scientology had selected her to date Cruise, but that Scientology officials Tommy Davis and Jessica Feshbach even tried to give her instructions on how to please him in the bedroom.

After that experience, Nazanin left Scientology and spoke with the FBI during its 2009-2010 human trafficking investigation of Scientology. But she has never spoken publicly about Scientology, and it’s really pretty stunning to see her do so now.

Some published reports are saying that Biden has settled on two top choices for running mate — Kamala Harris and Susan Rice — and the news focus on Karen Bass may soon go away. But we expect that politicians now understand better than ever that it doesn’t pay to associate with the Church of Scientology and David Miscavige.

 
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Source Code

“This planet is part of an earlier federation and passed out of its control due to losses in war and other such things. Now, this larger confederacy, this isn’t its right name, but we have often called it and referred to it in the past as the Marcab Confederacy. And it has been wrongly or rightly pointed to as one of the tail stars of the Big Dipper, which is the capital planet of which this planet is. Now, all this sounds very Space Opera-ish and that sort of thing, and I’m sorry for it, but I am not one to quibble about the truth. This gets in people’s hair every now and then, and I don’t see any point in lying in order to be acceptable. It just doesn’t seem to be a right way to go about things, particularly in the realm of science.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 6, 1963

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“As I continued getting auditing — most recently N.E.D. — and studying, I became increasingly more certain that I was Clear. I began having rapid-fire cognitions that not only was I Clear, but a past life Clear, at that. THAT made a LOT of sense. I hadn’t ‘recreated’ Scientology on my own, I had ‘remembered’ it. The funny thing to me is that many times when I heard other past-lifers talk about their feelings of not quite ‘fitting in’ and some of their cognitions, I’d thought, ‘yeah, right. I have that too.’ It never occurred to me that I had that too because I was that too.”

 
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Random Howdy

“What kinda nut would think you could listen to Martians on an E-meter? Any sane person knows the only way you could listen to Martians is when you’re at the implant station on Mars, sheesh.”

 
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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] Scientology’s secret weapon to get its clutches on your children
[TWO years ago] If it’s wrong to love Scientology hip-hop, we don’t want to be right
[THREE years ago] Scientology subjects young children to quack therapies — now, someone is taking a stand
[FOUR years ago] So much for all that: Attempt by Garcias to revive Scientology lawsuit shot down by judge
[FIVE years ago] Um, about that story claiming Will Smith got a ‘refund’ from his broke-ass shuttered school…
[SIX years ago] Maybe the saddest Scientology promo video ever, and a history lesson from Mark Bunker!
[SEVEN years ago] Mary Sue Hubbard’s Last Will Fulfilled: Her Dog Bereft of Life, It’s Time to Sell Her House!
[NINE years ago] Scientology Delirium: Commenters of the Week!

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 6, 2020 at 07:00

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