Alas, the moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. Today, the new 78,500 square foot Church of Scientology and Celebrity Centre of Grand Paris (to use its full official title) will open its doors for the first time and boy, are we ready.
When a Fairfax, Virginia-registered organisation called Building Investments Group purchased the former Samsung headquarters at 270 Av. du President Wilson, Saint-Denis in 2017, local residents weren’t fooled. Scientology has a track record of forming shell companies and complex corporate structures in an attempt to conceal its vast movements of wealth, and never is it more apparent than when it comes to real estate. Take Manchester Org, for example; a leaked internal OSA report we’ve reviewed details how when purchasing the former Duckworth Distillery building in 2007 Scientology “wanted to keep the real ownership confidential til the change of zoning was approved by the local council. In the past [they] had opposition to applications for change of use with neighbors and Christian minister opposing them.” It goes on to warn however, “this cover may be blown” by a tax ruling that was ongoing at the time.
Fortunately when it came to Paris, the people of France saw through the faux filings and jumped straight into action. Thirty thousand local residents filed a petition with the municipality in an attempt to halt Scientology’s acquisition of the building in 2017, which resulted in a lengthy appeal process that prevented renovation works starting for four years. Since then, pressure has been mounting to ensure Paris org opens its doors before the Paris 2024 Olympics — Scientology wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to snap a photo of their “volunteers” handing out Way to Happiness or Truth About Drugs booklets outside the Stade de France, which is a 7-minute walk and is where the Olympics closing ceremony will take place on August 11.
The building for the new Org sold for 33 million Euros (about $36 million USD) and had only just gone through a €5.7 million refurbishment ($6.2 million USD) after Samsung’s lease came to an end; the owners wanted to make it more attractive to prospective tenants looking for office space. The irony is that in all likelihood, the majority of this renovation work would have been undone by Scientology, who have a set ‘Ideal Org’ formula that don’t quite align with the office needs of, say, a multinational tech company. Even worse (or better, depending on how you look at it)… after all the fanfare of this weekend is over, the building will stand just as empty as before it opened, gathering dust and worker discontent.
Today’s festivities have been long awaited. Scientology leader David Miscavige began drumming up the excitement at the November 2023 gathering of the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) in East Grinstead, UK. In a press statement released on November 3rd, the new “93,000 square foot” building was set to open in January. By the LRH birthday event the building had somehow grown, with a press statement released on March 16 describing the cohort of staff as “a tour de force set to light up the City of Light from their 95,000-square-foot Ideal Church.” Despite this magic reported growth, the floorpans reveal the building is actually 78,500 square feet – which is still an impressively large building for an organisation as small as Scientology. But of course, Miscavige can’t help but exaggerate such statistics.
Scientology is considered a sectarian group in France. It isn’t illegal to practice Scientology, but having been found guilty of fraud on more than one occasion, they are under the watchful eye of the French authorities — not excluding MIVILUDES, the government agency responsible for analysing cults and coercive groups. Despite the fierce opposition to Scientology’s purchase of the building, having boots on the ground in Paris allows us to see that the organisation has been hard at work “safe pointing” the local community. One business neighbour, for example, has offered the use of their carpark for event production vehicles, and a guest at a local hotel said that most of those working at his hotel were church staffers who were moonlighting.
Sea Org and other Scientology officials were spotted last night checking into nearby budget hotels, and a number of blacked-out SUVs and luxury cars have been seen going to and from the property over the last 24 hours. Whether Miscavige finds the bravery to open the Paris Org himself, or chickens out and sends someone like Erin Banks to fill his place at the last minute (like he did at the IAS event), remains to be seen. But one local resident tells us he has been working closely with the French Gendarmerie over the last few weeks to formally organise a public demonstration. Yesterday morning, they were told a gathering would be permitted at Rond Point Des Délices, a small open space to the rear of the property, but whether or not the protestors will be willing to abide by such restrictions, who knows?
Doors open at 11am (CEST) and the event kicks off at 1pm. Join us live on YouTube below as we document how Paris responds to the arrival of “the largest Golden Age of Admin team on Earth” and their new 78,500 sq ft/ 93,000 sq ft / 95,000 sq ft / very large new building.
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Technology Cocktail
“For the first time you have an exact subject in the field of the ‘humanities.’ These ‘humanities’ for all man’s history have been a mass of superstition, bad logic,
propaganda, authority and brutality. An exact humanity is so new that it has a bit of a hard time. All the errors and prejudices start to “blow off” when truth enters in. Just be sure you don’t lose the subject with the confusion. Cope, make do, hold the line and you’ll have a successful Dianetic area. It’s worth working toward, worth achieving. You have only one big stable datum. IF IT ISN’T WORKING IT IS BEING VARIED.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1969
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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 [55] Mark Bunker [56] Trish and Liz Conley [57] Trish Conley [58] Alex Barnes-Ross [59] Alex Barnes-Ross [60] Alex Barnes-Ross [61] Alex Barnes-Ross [62] Alex Barnes-Ross [63] Alex Barnes-Ross [64] Tory Christman [65] Tammy Synovec [66] Dennis Erlich [67] Alex Barnes-Ross [68] Valerie Ross [69] Kat in Austin [70] Mark Bunker [71] Phil Jones
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“You will be seeing a lot of this org board. And I’m merely pointing out to you about this, that there is something about it to understand. The first is that the org board does not change regardless of the size of the organization. It may get longer at the bottom, but it doesn’t change in its significant characteristics, departments, divisions or anything else. They remain constant, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a Class Zero Org consisting of three guys trying to lift their heads up off the pavement as an organization, or an organization of 200,000 staff members, it would be the same org board. And I know that startles you, but I almost told you the real figure: two billion. This board has a lot of back history, and it is a refined board. And I may as well tell you the truth here amongst us girls. This is a refined board that I spoke to you about in an earlier lecture of an old galactic civilization. And you say what’s that doing amongst us? Well, we applied Scientology to it, and found out why the civilization eventually failed. They lacked a couple of departments and that was enough to mess it all up. And they only lasted eighty trillion. We’ll be going a lot longer than that, so we want to get something substantial. We don’t want these temporary fly-by-night affairs, you know.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 6, 1965
“ARTICLE: MSH has just had a hard hitting article by her published in the British ‘Mayfair’ magazine. SYSTEMS: The IBM Systems Engineers sales handbook is now drawn up using Scientology basic. This is the world’s largest electronic firms. The Moon Rocket and Fail-Safe bomb systems and almost every corporation’s computers are all IBM. I’m sure they’ve forgotten they used to use me in their ads 32 years ago ‘Famous Writer Uses IBM Electric Typewriters’. VALIDATION: When one wishes to help, is trying to help and is brought up sharly, he gets a failed purpose. I’d be very glad to hear how anyone’s effort to help has become invalidated. That’s all we’ve got really — both yours and my willingness to help.” — The Commodore, April 6, 1970
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“The Matrix responds to your thoughts. You decide where this pandemic is going to go. You are not powerless, your attitude and thoughts create the movie of your life. You are navigating your way through parallel universes, why not visit the nice ones?”
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2001: The National Post reported on the efforts of Scientology to oppose the use of Prozac and Ritalin. “In a lavish ceremony, Priscilla Presley recently presented a human rights award to a courageous New York mother, Patricia Weathers. Mrs. Weathers had fought a long battle with her son’s school to get her 11-year-old son Michael off Ritalin, which she said caused him mental harm. Mrs. Weathers’ plight is well-known in the United States, where a backlash against such psychiatric drugs as Prozac and Ritalin is in full swing. What is less well-known is that this backlash has been orchestrated by the controversial Church of Scientology. Indeed, some argue that the Church has triggered the uproar almost single-handedly. Ms. Presley is a Scientologist. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) – which awarded Mrs. Weathers its prize – was formed by the Church in 1969. In fact, the Washington lawyer who launched a U.S. class-action suit against Ritalin’s makers and the American Psychiatric Association is also a senior Scientology official. Scientology, in its fight against Ritalin, is pursuing a broader agenda: to undermine the psychiatric profession. ‘While alerting parents and teachers to the dangers of Ritalin, the real target of the campaign is the psychiatric profession itself,’ the Church stated over a decade ago in its newspaper, Scientology Today. Scientology has also won a reputation for taking its enemies to court. Beginning in the late 1980s, it supported a series of lawsuits across the United States, attacking psychiatrists and schools with claims that attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not a valid diagnosis, stimulant drugs are overprescribed, and the doctors who make such prescriptions are corrupt or unethical. Many of these cases were handled by John Coale, a Washington lawyer and senior Scientologist. None of the cases has been successful in court. These efforts have created a climate of fear among physicians, parents and educators and have sown anxiety and confusion among the general public, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported in 1998. Church operatives also work at raising awareness of potential side effects of psychiatric drugs, often with great success. In the wake of the massacre at Columbine, Col., CNN interviewed Dr. Mary Ann Block, author of the book No More Ritalin-Treating ADHD Without Drugs. She quoted a study noting Ritalin’s similarity to cocaine in its ability to cause psychotic episodes.”
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“Scientology ‘the religion’ is still engaged in medical fraud and could be charged as such if politicians in general had any balls or morals.”
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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. Sentenced to 30 years to life 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. Next pretrial hearing May 17, 2024.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.
Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Leah seeking to amend her complaint.
— 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: motion to file new complaint, hearing on May 29.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, hearing on April 16.
— 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] Dave’s winning streak: Has Scientology made itself lawsuit-proof?
[TWO years ago] The Scientology oversharer goes Clear! Check out this epic graduation speech.
[THREE years ago] A fight against Scientology ‘disconnection’ now a remarkable illustrated book
[FOUR years ago] Scientology million-dollar donor on COVID-19: ‘Healthy people don’t get sick’
[FIVE years ago] Paulette Cooper’s ‘Scandal of Scientology’: The book that made Miss Lovely a target
[SIX years ago] Is Scientology really any different than other ‘churches’? Oh, you bet. Here’s one example.
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology disconnection: A toxic policy that punishes innocent people every day of the week
[EIGHT years ago] Lucia Ribisi ditches Scientology and says of famous dad Giovanni: ‘He’s questioned it’
[NINE years ago] Mike Rowe uses Facebook to rip Scientology over the treatment of his friend Spanky Taylor
[TEN years ago] Scientology Sunday Funnies: Sydney nears its big day, and Silicon Valley is in high gear!
[ELEVEN years ago] One of Scientology’s Early Celebrities: Charlie Manson!
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 2,862 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,357 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 3,872 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,422 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,412 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,293 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,597 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,468 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,020 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,361 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 12,928 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 8,847 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,015 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,596 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 4,857 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 3,893 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,609 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,173 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,488 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,663 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 7,214 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,345 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,683 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,536 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,657 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,013 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,316 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,422 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 3,820 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,696 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,261 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 3,774 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,028 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,137 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on April 6, 2024 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
