For many years now Scientology has spread a lot of garbage about your proprietor, and we do our best just to ignore it. The exception we’ve made is to talk a little, for the movie Going Clear and for Leah Remini’s series, about some of the in-real-life stuff Scientology has thrown at us, with private investigators trying to intimidate our loved ones.
But most of what they do is a lot of online smears that they spread around with their various social media accounts. And for years, they paid for ads on Google so that if you searched on our name their garbage popped up at the top of the page. Yawn.
Again, we tend to ignore it and we don’t bring it up here at the Bunker. However, we thought it might be time for another exception.
We’re blocked from seeing it directly, but apparently Scientology took out a couple of Twitter/X ads about us recently, and enough was paid to get them some very prominent placement.
One of the ads was made from footage stolen from our own coverage of the first Danny Masterson trial, when we thanked Karen de la Carriere for helping us save money by allowing us to stay at her place. (We figured it was good manners to be thankful for that kind of generosity, but you know, no good deed…)
We only found out about the ads because we started to see the reactions to them, and we thought we’d share some of those reactions with you today. We figure you might find them as amusing as we did. Way to go, Scientology, thanks for helping raise the Ortega profile over at Elon’s playpen.
And why now? Was it the 60 Minutes Australia appearance? Was it our personal news, and Scientology thought we made a more vulnerable target right now? No idea. We just thought it was interesting that they tried out this new tactic against us, and it appeared to backfire.
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Technology Cocktail
“We are getting together a UK Congress that gives the Washington Congress over again and which is rigged to succeed as a Tape Congress. To begin this decade of 1960’s we are well away from the mark and have the majority of the countries with us. We now have to make a hard push on the UK to get things wheeling like we mean it.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1960
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THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON
We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links as Danny faces a potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison. NOW WITH TRIAL INDEX.
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THE PODCAST: How many have you heard?
[1] Marc Headley [2] Claire Headley [3] Jeffrey Augustine [4] Bruce Hines [5] Sunny Pereira [6] Pete Griffiths [7] Geoff Levin [8] Patty Moher [9] Marc Headley [10] Jefferson Hawkins [11] Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan [12] Paulette Cooper [13] Jesse Prince [14] Mark Bunker [15] Jon Atack [16] Mirriam Francis [17] Bruce Hines on MSH
— SPECIAL: The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see
[1] Phil Jones [2] Derek Bloch [3] Carol Nyburg [4] Katrina Reyes [5] Jamie DeWolf
— The first Danny Masterson trial and beyond
[18] Trial special with Chris Shelton [19] Trial week one [20] Marc Headley on the spy in the hallway [21] Trial week two [22] Trial week three [23] Trial week four [24] Leah Remini on LAPD Corruption [25] Mike Rinder 2022 Thanksgiving Special [26] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part One [27] Jane Doe 4 (Tricia Vessey), Part Two [28] Claire Headley on the trial [29] Tory Christman [30] Bruce Hines on spying [31] Karen de la Carriere [32] Ron Miscavige on Shelly Miscavige [33] Karen de la Carriere on the L’s [34] Mark Bunker on Miscavige hiding [35] Mark Plummer [36] Mark Ebner [37] Karen Pressley [38] Steve Cannane [39] Fredrick Brennan [40] Clarissa Adams [41] Louise Shekter [42] John Sweeney [43] Tory Christman [44] Kate Bornstein [45] Christian Stolte [46] Mark Bunker [47] Jon Atack [48] Luke Y. Thompson [49] Mark Ebner
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“Some prenatal engrams (you find this out when you are clearing a case) will have slumbered 20 or 30 years with no reactivation, yet will be vicious engrams. For instance, in one case there must have been about 110 engrams, each one of which called for an enormously powerful migraine headache, and not one of them reactivated until the person was 22 years of age. Then, chain fashion, they all reactivated. The mysterious cause of the migraine headache was evidently an airplane crash where the person got a headache. Actually there was not even a head injury in the airplane crash, but there were about three words spoken while the person was unconscious which reactivated the chain.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 15, 1950
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“The recovery of personnel sent out is a primary duty of the Action Bureau. It is not true that the US and Europe are full of unrecalled missionaires but they sure leave their missions out long enough. Now our Brian Charlton is trying to set an all time record. A 2 day hat check out of Athena on PR became weeks. Recall at once and assign Mission Ineligible.” — The Commodore, August 15, 1970
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“This planet was created for the reason to control thetans in meat bodies. If you listen through the tapes especially in the good old 50’s you’ll get the idea about the big picture. ‘Thetans were convinced a long time ago to pick up a body,’ LRH said in a lecture. If you would go to the ‘end of all things’ as I would call it, and you assumed the critical mass of the population would go up the Tone Scale and would be really stable, we would all agree to get rid of the ‘need of body’ thing and would just ‘go home’ in our native Universe where we don’t have feelings like hunger or the need to make money to survive.”
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1996: Martin Hunt this week posted the story of his leaving Scientology, and the reaction of his former friends. “[S]ome three weeks after I blew I went back to Vancouver to pick up my stuff. The Scientologist I was sharing an apartment with wouldn’t let me in, as she thought I had flipped and was now a dangerous suppressive person (phobia indoctrination). I knocked on the door, but she wouldn’t answer. I called out her name, told her I knew she was home, that I just wanted to pick up my stuff, and that I wasn’t a threat of any kind to her. She still wouldn’t let me in, or even acknowledge that I was at the door, but literally hid in fear from me and pretended to not be there, even though I knew she was. I walked out to the corner and phoned her. I then said that I wouldn’t call the cops if she let me have my stuff back, and to this she told me to go to the org downtown and get an OK first and go through ethics as my only terminal, so I went back to the org I hadn’t been to or communicated in any way with for about three weeks. When I showed up at reception, the receptionist immediately called in a higher-up to deal with me, and I was frostily told to go straight to the ED, where I was given a form in triplicate to route-out properly. The ED told me not to talk to anyone, and was very cold to me despite a long acquaintance that went beyond the org; I had been to her house, met her family, seen her down in the State where she was on course while I was (she was doing the FEBC). I went through the form, and had to deal with several people on it, my superior, my division executive, the ethics officer, etc. Everyone talked to me as if I was an evil piece of shit, if they talked to me at all. It was a shocking experience to say hi to someone I thought I knew very well and considered a friend only to have them literally turn their back or walk away or just sneer at me; it was more shocking to see this repeated over and over with everyone I talked to, as if they had all been given instructions on what to do and how to shun me in the best possible manner to cause the most pain.”
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“Oops, sounds like Marty had what they call in A.A. a ‘slip.’ Hopefully it doesn’t turn into a full blown relapse.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Found guilty on two counts on May 31, remanded to custody. Sentencing on Sep 7.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Trial scheduled for August 15.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.
Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Complaint filed August 2, hearing on proof of service on Oct 3.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration. Plaintiffs allowed interlocutory appeal to Eleventh Circuit.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Appellate court removes requirement of arbitration on January 19, case remanded back to Superior Court. Stay in place at least through sentencing of Masterson on Sep 7.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Next hearing Nov 6.
— Chiropractors Steve Peyroux and Brent Detelich, stem cell fraud: Ordered to mediation.
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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 BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. 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] Pete Goes to Hollywood: The grim reality of Scientology servitude in La-La-Land
[TWO years ago] Underground Bunker readers assemble, and Scientology spies freak out
[THREE years ago] The Top 25 People Enabling Scientology, No. 22: Graham Norton and other celebrity strokers
[FOUR years ago] ‘Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath’ will end with a 2-hour special August 26
[FIVE years ago] A life connected to some of our biggest Scientology stories ends in a terrible way
[SIX years ago] Leah Remini goes there: Child molestation in Scientology for tonight’s ‘Aftermath’ premiere
[SEVEN years ago] Former Scientology mouthpiece Tommy Davis is settling into his new role as Hollywood exec
[EIGHT years ago] Why no one should ever join Scientology’s ‘Sea Org’
[NINE years ago] Ryan Hamilton files 19th lawsuit against Scientology’s drug rehab network
[TEN years ago] Scientology is Obsessed with Getting Books in Libraries — Here Are the Real Stats!
[TWELVE years ago] The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology, No. 21: Kendrick Moxon
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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 3,122 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 3,637 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,187 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,177 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,058 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,362 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,233 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 2,338 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 4,785 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,127 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 12,693 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 8,612 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 4,779 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,361 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 4,622 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 3,658 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,374 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,938 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,253 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,428 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,979 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,110 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,448 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,303 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,422 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 2,778 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,081 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,187 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 3,585 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,461 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,026 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 3,539 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 3,793 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,902 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 15, 2023 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, 1995-2022 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2022), 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
Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
