TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Since we posted letters by Danny Masterson’s friends and family asking for leniency, there’s been a firestorm on social media, particularly over Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis (who put out an apology). But there’s another drama in those letters, as we explain today at The Daily Beast. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“All Security Check sheets of persons Security Checked should be forwarded to Saint Hill, complete with all markings and the reason why the question would not at first clear, if important, or the drop marked which would not clear and whether or not the person was passed or failed.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1961
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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 [50] Bruce Hines [51] Spanky Taylor and Karen Pressley [51] Geoff and Robbie Levin [52] Sands Hall [53] Jonny Jacobsen [54] Sandy Holeman
“You’ll find the artists and musicians of this particular planet always have some schnook alongside of them to cave them in. They always marry the wrong girl, you know, and get the wrong agent, and, because they’re creating. The industrialist, the manufacturer, that sort of thing, these boys, it’s not because of any deep-seated communist plot, it’s just they are in trouble, that’s all. They haven’t got enough force to protect their own creativeness, and as a result, why, people attack them. Elementary. Basic answer on the whole track, if you had never had anybody create anything, you would have no trouble. Nothing had ever been created, why, of course you wouldn’t have any universe to be in trouble with. This is all very elementary.” — L. Ron Hubbard, September 10, 1963
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“Did you notice ashore how the native pesetas have inflated??? Wow. We better start getting our stats up. World inflation is ZOOMING. That would eat up all our reserves in a minute. So Hi Ho for the open sea. Farewell and adieu to you Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain. Until we strike soundings in the Channel of Old England. But we hope in a short time to see you again.” — The Commodore, September 10, 1969
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“I say LRH had to return like he said he would and he had to create a totally different beingness in order to understand and communicate with the newest most severe levels of degraded beings here on Earth. I myself know: I was a former criminal and even a psych on my track, having done so I could penetrate their veils and then break their spells on others. One never knows all unless one experiences all.”
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2001: A Fox News column by Roger Friedman noted the trend for the show Dharma and Greg to feature Scientology celebrities. “Has ABC’s Dharma and Greg become Scientology central for sitcoms? The group already has a vocal member in star Jenna Elfman, who plays Dharma. Elfman is the protege of acting teacher Milton Katselas, also a devotee of the pay-as-you-go cult favored by Tom Cruise, John Travolta and others. Last spring, avowed and outspoken cult member Kirstie Alley appeared in Dharma and Greg’s season cliffhanger as, of all things, a marriage
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“After all these years a Scientologist is trying to dox me? I gave vaLLarrr more than enough clues to dox me but OSA was too incompetent to pick up on it. Actually it’s probably just Flunk looking for revenge.”
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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, first hearing set for Dec 4.
— 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. Next hearing set for Sept 26.
— 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] PODCAST: Paulette Cooper has been exposing Scientology’s abuses for more than 50 years
[TWO years ago] After Scientology’s 9-11 fakery, a Sea Org slave makes his dicey run for freedom
[THREE years ago] Scientology’s ‘Super Power’ couple slammed down by appeals court over tax debt
[FOUR years ago] Scientology: So much effort and heartache, for such little effect
[FIVE years ago] A dispatch from the front: Protesting Scientology’s anti-psych quackery
[SIX years ago] Ideal and Ideal-er: England org coming soon will be Scientology to the max
[SEVEN years ago] Laying to rest the obfuscations of L. Fletcher Prouty, Scientology’s conspiracist-for-hire
[EIGHT years ago] Another trial ordered against Narconon as Scientology derail attempt mostly fails
[NINE years ago] Finally! Scientology begins selling its mysterious ‘OT’ levels more openly with slick new videos!
[TEN years ago] SCIENTOLOGY MOVES TO DISQUALIFY MONIQUE RATHBUN’S ATTORNEYS
[TWELVE years ago] Scientology Schweinehund: Commenters of the Week!
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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 3,148 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 3,663 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,213 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,203 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,084 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,388 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,259 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 2,364 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 4,811 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,153 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 12,719 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 8,638 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 4,805 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,387 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 4,648 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 3,684 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,400 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,964 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,279 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,454 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 7,005 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,136 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,474 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,329 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,448 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 2,804 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,107 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,213 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 3,611 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,487 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,052 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 3,565 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 3,819 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,928 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on September 10, 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
