TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Historian Chris Owen has been writing about #Scientology in places like Greece for us for years, so when we saw that the Greek church had put out a statement denouncing Hubbardism, we knew Chris was the right person to put it in context. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
——————–
Technology Cocktail
“Why all these Joburgs? As a case gains it gains in responsibility. As it gains in responsibility, the pc remembers more withholds and considers the things he has done more in the light of having been overts. If the case isn’t given a chance to get rid of these, it stalls. Or the pc is half killed by realizations that he has been bad when the targets of his overts unlessen from pigs to people. Therefore it is brutally unkind to improve a case without then removing the withholds now realized. This is also an excellent therapeutic mechanism. It is also an excellent test of a pc’s progress, i.e: if he has no more withholds on a new Joburg that weren’t found on his last, the pc isn’t progressing. On successive Joburgs if no new overts and withholds show up that weren’t there before, the pc is not progressing. Yes, I’ve found why cases stalled and gained only so far and then blew. Your thanks are in order.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1961
——————–
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.
——————–
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
——————–
“All right now, let’s look at an engram. An engram isn’t very serious if somebody walks up and steps on your toes and says, ‘You skunk.’ That’s not very serious because there’s not very much chaos there into which to put a stable datum. But if this individual walked up to you from behind, slugged you over the head, kicked you in the ribs, wound you up in the hospital, but somewhere in the midst of all of this he said, ‘You’re a skunk,’ you’d probably start to smell like one.” — L. Ron Hubbard, September 14, 1955
——————–
“There’s a need for the FEBC like the Sahara needs water. Public demand is high. The contemporary staffs don’t really know how to give service or handle. Well, we’ll make it anyway. A lot of good guys out there. At least we know exactly where we’re going and exactly what to do to get there. Maybe we’re the only ones on Earth who do.” — The Commodore, September 14, 1970
——————–
“All of Ayn Rand’s books are awesome.”
——————–
1998: Lawrence Wollersheim posted to a.r.s this week to report continuing harassment by Scientology’s private investigators. “I just got a call from my bank that someone was again trying to impersonate me to obtain my confidential bank records. Scientology was so dumb this time they had a woman trying to disguise her voice. The bank even had to laugh at the mickey mouse operation. Then a PI stakes out my house in such an obvious way as to tell all our neighbors that something very weird is going on in a neighborhood. He got lucky and left before the Security patrol arrived.”
——————–
“A question that has crossed my mind in the past is, if someone cynically creates a religion/spiritual movement for their own personal gain, but its followers truly believe in it, does one negate the other?”
——————–
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.
——————–
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?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Now with no restrictions: Our podcast series on the Scientology docuseries that never aired
[TWO years ago] Danny Masterson’s civil attorney adds Prince Andrew as a client and Twitter loses its mind
[THREE years ago] SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS, Episode 4: Tom Cruise’s dirty plot against publicist Pat Kingsley
[FOUR years ago] Mark ‘Wise Beard Man’ Bunker: His Scientology-protesting past and political future
[FIVE years ago] Jesse Prince, witness to Scientology’s ugliest behavior, spills it all in new book
[SIX years ago] Is Ohio’s newest legislator a Scientologist? ‘I had him on the cans,’ says our man in Cincy
[SEVEN years ago] DRONE FLYOVER: Scientology’s secret base where David Miscavige keeps wife out of sight
[EIGHT years ago] Another rare Scientology video leaks, and this time we see its long vanished president
[NINE years ago] Scientology Sunday Funnies: Smile while you write that check, pardner!
[TEN years ago] THE TEXAS POST-GAME REPORT: Scientology, Monique Rathbun, and Judge Dib Waldrip
[TWELVE years ago] The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology, No. 8: Mike Rinder
——————–
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 3,152 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 3,667 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,217 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,207 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,088 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,392 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,263 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 2,368 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 4,815 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,157 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 12,723 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 8,642 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 4,809 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,391 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 4,652 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 3,688 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,404 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,968 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,283 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,458 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 7,009 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,140 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,478 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,333 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,452 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 2,808 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,111 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,217 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 3,615 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,491 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,056 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 3,569 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 3,823 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,932 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on September 14, 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
