The new season of Scientology TV is here! Can an NFL legend finally get someone to watch?

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Has it really been 6 years that Scientology has been paying for its 24-hour-a-day stream of unwatchable propaganda on Scientology TV? Church leader David Miscavige is debuting a new ‘season’ of this stuff tonight, and he’s hoping an NFL legend will get you, finally, to tune in. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

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Technology Cocktail

“Realism requires that auditing be a group action. As such a group can also teach a course, it is not difficult to recruit able people to help. I recall in particular two pathetic cases of singlism. One was a psychoanalyst who learned how to be an auditor and had to stop using Dianetics as it cleaned up all his practice and he had so much trouble finding ‘patients.’ The other was an auditor who found himself with the whole of a war vessel’s crew as pcs and no help in sight. In either case forming a Dianetic Counseling Group, getting them checked out on their ‘hats’ and doing their duties even part-time would have solved all.” — 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

Source Code

“Don’t, by the way, think I’m utterly mad when I talk about this, because I am afraid that the very, very best and most conservative churches of the land would rather be found dead than to disagree with me on the fact that man does have a soul. And the quest of an auditor, in working with a preclear, is to discover and rehabilitate that soul and actually help the individual to find out where heaven is. If we use those terms, of course, it becomes very comprehensible, in a past frame of reference. But heaven isn’t what you think it is, and hell is right here….But isn’t it strange that whenever I talk to somebody about this, they are much more willing to accept this concept than they were willing to accept such things as prenatal engrams and so forth. The most violent reactions I get from people, ordinarily, ‘You mean I HAVE lived before and I WILL live again?’ And you say…’Yeah, and the race has lived for an awful long time, and you could probably do so-and-so and so-and-so, and step out of your body and soar off to Venus if you wanted to.’ Used to be I’d say to somebody…’There’s such things as prenatal engrams and a child records when it’s in its mother and so forth.’ And they’d say, ‘Yak yak yak yak yak yak yak yak.’ No agreement on the line. But people are agreeing with me on THIS in the most unexpected quarters, unexpected quarters. Most people are atheists because they know that the way it was drawn up and presented to them wasn’t the way it is. That’s why they’re atheists. So don’t have any great fear about this theta track and theta beingness, or even in relaying it to people, because you’re in for some surprises. They’ll sit there and they’ll say, ‘Is that so! Tell me more.’” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 15, 1952

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“CORFU: It may be of interest that ‘Major’ Forte the British Consul in Corfu who messed the area up with lies is about to be sued by us in Corfu for libel and slander proven by his own testimony.” — The Commodore, April 15, 1971

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“There appears to be one other state of being above OT that can be theoretically stated to be a True Static. So stay the course as things are about to change for the better. All of the hopes and dreams that we have worked so hard for are not only about to be realized — but surpassed.”

 
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Past is Prologue

1996: Julie Mayo posted a series of articles this week, recalling her days spent in the cult. Some excerpts: “Miscavige, who was the boss of ASI (for profit company) and also ‘Special Project Ops’ and Trustee of RTC at the time, told me that I was being assigned to the RPF. I asked him why. He said ‘You know why, Miss Natter Box’. Miscavige told me I was being assigned to ‘hard labor’. This was the desert and it was August and it was hot. My job was to dig ditches. I was burning up and exhausted from the mental shock and lack of sleep. Rick Klingler, of the G.O., was at Gilman Hot Springs on the RPF. He was assigned to me as a buddy to make sure that I didn’t escape and that I dug ditches. I was put on the running program for 12 hours a day 7 days a week for weeks. We weren’t even given time to do our laundry. I remember bringing my laundry to the tree and then going to the bathroom. The bathroom had a back door, through which I could escape to the laundry room. I had to keep my eye out for Bucky Beaver, though, because he patrolled the area for people who weren’t doing what they should be doing. I never knew what Bucky’s real name was because we weren’t allowed to talk to crew. David Miscavige and a couple other people used to ride down on their scooters to watch us running around that tree. It must have been October or November by now because I remember Miscavige wearing a great, long coat and just stand up the hill with a couple others, watching us.”

 
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Random Howdy

“The only thing standing between Scientology being viewed in the same light as FLDS, Peoples Temple or Branch Davidians by the general public is Tom Cruise and the rest of the celebs.”

 
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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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SCIENTOLOGY: FAIR GAME

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] VIDEO: Scientology’s post-pandemic comeback starts right here, space cadets!
[TWO years ago] Calif. supremes want reply from DA to Danny Masterson’s bid for review in rape case
[THREE years ago] Kirstie Alley’s daughter: ‘Everyone’ is ditching Los Angeles for Clearwater
[FOUR years ago] ‘Rona blues: Court delays, Shelly on the menu, and more Scientology nonsense
[FIVE years ago] L. Ron Hubbard: Scientology will thrive when medical doctors are reined in
[SIX years ago] Scientology’s space opera ideas aren’t just for the upper levels, as one key early book shows
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology is No. 1 with No. 2! Or, how the Church of David Miscavige stinks up Clearwater
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology rips apart families with its ‘disconnection’ policy — but why?
[NINE years ago] Another leak of outtakes from 1997’s ‘Secret Lives’ — Scientology’s finance ‘dictator’
[TEN years ago] Jefferson Hawkins helps us understand Scientology’s L Rundowns!
[ELEVEN years ago] We Need Your Help, Scientology Watchers

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on April 15, 2024 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, 1995-2022 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

 

Tony Ortega at Rolling Stone