We had kind of a wild time last night, and we thought we’d tell you all about it. Yesterday, we posted a new Scientology hip-hop video, notable, we thought, because it didn’t feature Scientology’s longtime in-house rapper, Chill EB.
But then one of our readers noticed that the Kansas City-themed song, “Hold Yo Head Up High,” not only featured a lot of KC landmarks like Union Station, Arrowhead Stadium, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, but it also looked as though Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid himself showed up for a moment, posing with rapper Tha Real Kodde One who was holding up a copy of Scientology propaganda, a booklet titled “The Way to Happiness” (see photo above).
Taken in, we posted a tweet about it, and we wondered why Coach Reid would agree to appear in a video not only about Scientology propaganda, but also produced by Scientology Media Productions (SMP), the church’s major new studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.
Almost right away, though, we started hearing from KC locals who said it wasn’t Reid but a lookalike. Yikes! We called up the Chiefs media team and asked them to look at the video for us. Was that Coach Reid or not?
We heard back from Chiefs corporate communications manager Luke Shanno that the man was actually a well-known lookalike who goes by the moniker “Almost Andy Reid,” and that his real name is Matt Black.
So we took down our original tweet and replaced it with one stating that the Chiefs had told us the guy in the video is Almost Andy Reid, and he’s in a video of Scientology propaganda.
Well, Almost Andy Reid was not happy about that. And we ended up having a conversation with him about it late last night.
“I’m devastated that I was tricked into something like that,” Matt told us, assuring us that he had no idea that when he posed for some photos during the football season he would end up in a video promoting Scientology.
“And there’s another guy in the video, KC Super Jesus, he is one of the kindest people. I’m sick that they fooled him too.”
Matt told us what he remembered about that day.
“I was out at the stadium taking pictures with people. Then someone saw me and got out of a car and stopped me. I’m pretty sure they thought I was Andy Reid. ‘Are you Andy Reid?’ they asked. And I said ‘Almost’ — that’s always my response,” he said with a laugh.
Matt says they pointed out that they had a professional video setup going, and asked if he wanted to be a part of it.
And while the video team assumed they were talking to the real Andy Reid, Matt assumed it was the Chiefs who were shooting the video.
“So I came over. And they took me right up to the artist. I didn’t even know who it was.”
We hadn’t heard of him either, but Tha Real Kodde One bills himself as the “P. Diddy of Kansas City,” which has a nice ring to it, you have to admit.
“They started chatting with me and taking pictures of me. I get people taking pictures of me all the time, so I’m used to it,” Matt says. “I could tell they thought I was Andy Reid, and I told them no, I’m not. And then I could tell they wanted nothing to do with me. They shut down production right then. I thought that was kind of weird.”
Matt says he was still under the impression that the video shoot was being done by the Chiefs or for the Chiefs. It was football season, and they were in the parking lot at Arrowhead Stadium. But once he had identified himself, they suddenly wanted nothing to do with him.
“As I was leaving, some girl came up to me and asked me to sign a piece of paper.”
Ah! The release form. This is what we were curious about. In order to use Matt’s image in the video, even if they were disappointed that he wasn’t the real Andy Reid, they would need his signature on a release form before they could do so.
And did he sign it?
“If I remember correctly, because I was a little perturbed by how they treated me when they found out I wasn’t Andy Reid, I signed it ‘Almost Andy Reid’.”
Oh really?
“It was so long ago, but I think I remember doing that.”
Hey, we’re no lawyers, but if SMP has a release signed “Almost Andy Reid,” and Matt Black were to object now to his image being used, that video might be in jeopardy.
Matt said he was thinking along the same lines.
“The goal is to work on a cease and desist,” he says.
“I’m a Christian. I sing for a Presbyterian church. I have for years and years. I watched all of Leah Remini’s shows. I’m a big fan,” he says. And the last thing he wants is to be in a Scientology propaganda video.
“I use my platform to help local businesses, but I also have a lot of fun with it, on TikTok.”
He has a huge following on the social media platform, and he’s used his fame to help raise money for charities, including Ronald McDonald House.
“I don’t even charge people anything when they take pictures with me,” he says.
We had one last question for him that we just had to ask. Has he met the real Andy Reid?
“Here’s the thing. I’m a lifelong KC Chiefs fan. He’s in a Super Bowl run right now. We’ll meet some day. but no way I’m going to actively seek out a picture with Andy Reid now just because it would make me feel better.”
And there you have it, genuinely nice guy Matt ‘Almost Andy Reid’ Black, used unwittingly in a Scientology propaganda video. We think this just might heat up.
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Bonus items from our tipsters
There go the golden years.
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“‘If I put in one more galaxy,’ a fellow said to me one day, ‘I’m going to sink straight through the crust of Earth.’ I don’t think he would have although the crust is only 40 miles thick and below that is nothing but molten lava. But anyway, he was getting too heavy.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 29, 1954
“David Mayo is assigned as an Ad Course Auditor assisting Bob Guilford. This is in addition to his Flag Interneship. This post does the incidental auditing and minor repairs and rud flying needed by Ad Courses. Full checkout on these actions should be done at once. This includes HCO B 26 Apr 71.” — The Commodore, April 29, 1971
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“Psychic auditing is where the auditor audits a person over Skype but the auditor holds the cans of the E-meter and also sends spiritual entities to monitor the PC. Given that the sending of entities to monitor the person is the method of choice for implanters, I think this psychic auditing deserves a warning.”
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1997: “SPIEGEL and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung report this week on the escape of a 17-year-old Sea Org member from Saint Hill. Tanya (which is not her real name) was born in Zimbabwe and grew up in Rhodesia. Her mother died when she was four. Both her father and her stepmother were Scientologists. When Tanya hurt herself as child, she was not comforted, but instead asked for her overts. There seems to be a special Sec Check for six- to twelve-year-olds, with questions like: ‘What were you forbidden to tell?’, ‘Did you ever disappoint your parents?’ or ‘Have you ever done something with your body which you shouldn’t have done?’ Tanya decided to flee from Scientology half a year after she had been promoted to the HCO. Her first attempt was rather naive: she told the security officer that she would leave. Result: she was locked up and had to write down all her ‘overts’. Thereupon, she changed her tactics and told that she needed some days off to visit her dad who had suffered an alleged heart attack. The holiday is granted, and Tanya is off for a couple of days. After that, she goes back to Saint Hill to pick up some personal belongings. But Scientology has become suspicious. Only with the help of Ursula Caberta (the Hamburg commissary for Scientology) and the British police she can leave Saint Hill two days later. This was in August 1996. Tanya also reports a kidnapping attempt in Hamburg shortly after her escape. The offenders have not been found. Tanya claims to be terrorized since three weeks by telephone. Her parents have disconnected from her. Scientology has sent a dead-agent file on Tanya to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung. It contains allegations such as an angry letter from an aunt because Tanya drank 9 liters of coke, stole 20 marks and phoned for more than 400 marks from the aunts’ telephone. Interestingly, Scientology confirms that Tanya had to work hard; her working hours, according to the file, were from 8:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.”
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“In Scientology, ripping off a wog isn’t a crime, it’s a duty.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Preliminary hearing set for May 18.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay sentenced to 9 years in prison. Jeff’s sentencing to be scheduled.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Trial scheduled for May 20 in Los Angeles
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud: Pretrial conference set for Apr 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.’ Petition for writ of mandate denied Oct 22 by Cal 2nd Appellate District. Petition for review by state supreme court denied Dec 11.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Dec 30, Judge Kleifield granted Scientology’s motions to compel arbitration. June 7: Status conference.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Dec 17: Feshbachs sign court judgment obliging them to pay entire $3.674 million tax debt, plus interest from Nov 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, Cannane victorious, awarded court costs. Case appealed on Dec 24.
Concluded litigation:
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— 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.
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks
The Australian Seven News network cancelled a 10-part investigation of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks. Read the transcripts of the episodes and judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. 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 a weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] NASA’s new spacesuit shares a name with Scientology’s legendary galactic warlord!
[TWO years ago] Scientology stepping up its promotion of chiropractic, demonizing of the AMA
[THREE years ago] As another tiny enclave of Scientologists digs deep for an Ideal Org — what would Ron say?
[FOUR years ago] Garcias answer: Was Scientology not paying attention to an angry federal judge?
[FIVE years ago] Ron Miscavige, his book ‘Ruthless,’ his nervous son, and Scientology Watching’s new reality
[SIX years ago] Want to go Clear? Has Scientology got a deal for you!
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology’s ‘Hogwarts’ doesn’t want you to think it’s connected to Scientology
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology Metaphysics: After Death, Will You Go to Mars or Venus?
[NINE years ago] Sunday Funnies: Librarians Under Assault!
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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 2,286 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,790 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,310 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,330 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,221 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,528 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,396 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,170 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 1,500 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,974 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,290 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,856 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,775 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,943 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,524 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,785 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,823 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,536 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,061 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 416 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,591 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,142 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,291 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,611 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,466 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,585 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,941 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,244 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,350 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,752 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,624 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,207 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,702 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,956 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,065 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on April 29, 2021 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, 1995-2020 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2020), 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, 15 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
