TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: As much as Scientology is struggling and it suffers from horrible press and a terrible public image, its old-school methods still manage to bring in the curious. Why are we so easy to tantalize and mesmerize? It’s human nature, apparently. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“People whose Ethics are low will enturbulate and upset a group as they are seeking to justify their harmful acts against the group. And this leads to more harmful acts. Out-ethics people go rapidly into Treason against the group. A person whose Ethics have been out over a long period goes ‘out of valence.’ They are ‘not themselves.'” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1972
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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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“There is cyclical illness which is dictated in the various R6 implants. A fellow was forced to get sick at the age of five, followed multiples of five, and he’s supposed to get sick from this and from that, and from the other thing. Measles and, you know he’s supposed to have and that’s certain. They predict his health, in other words. When he’s fifty he’s supposed to something or other. What they’re trying to do is make a body cave in. See?” — L. Ron Hubbard, September 30, 1968
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“It was more dangerous to raise the stern anchor than it was to hope it held as it was holding. Rear view mirror into the past. We should have anchored on the other side of the little island day before yesterday. We’re sitting here held by my postulates and a stern anchor. If either let go we’d wreck our screws. Let this be a lesson in seamanship. The morale is anchor more safely when you can, not after you’re unsafely anchored.” — The Commodore September 30, 1970
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“I’ve never seen ANY cause to attack, criticize, blame, and otherwise malign and impugn LRH. I personally went through extreme hell as a result of writing up GAT as a technical degrade when I was Snr C/S of my org, but I never lost my integrity and affinity for the old man, nor his tech. All the reverse sec-checking, imprisonment, wrong indications, etc., never alloyed my affinity. So I’ve little tolerance for that or the badmouthing of Scientology.”
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1995: Jeff Jacobsen this week posted portions of a flyer he found at the recent demonstration in Arizona. “A church flyer was on the ground when we picketed the church. Under the heading ‘Why continue to be part of a dying world?’ is a Hubbard quote; ’30 years and then the planet will not support human life. Cheerful note. Well that’s where the politicians and ‘Scientists’ took us.’ Also, the church has spent millions of dollars building underground vaults in order to preserve Hubbard’s writings in case of a cataclysm. Another flyer from Hubbard says ‘I want you to survive World War III.’ Scientology is a doomsday cult.”
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“I realized this maybe six years ago when I first read about TR-Alice. I was gobsmacked at how obvious it was. I’ve read numerous examples of Hubbard having a laugh at his followers’ expense since then.”
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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 31, 2024.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.
Civil litigation:
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration.
— 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, on hold until appeal over new judge heard.
— 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] PHOTO: More Scientology enforcers who were ID’d at the Danny Masterson trial
[TWO years ago] Dr. Eric Berg gaming YouTube? Ian Rafalko with more revelations about his Scientologist dad
[THREE years ago] Another Scientology OT dies of Covid, this time near the Florida ‘spiritual mecca’
[FOUR years ago] Could Danny Masterson’s odd legal fight over his Hollywood house endanger his freedom?
[FIVE years ago] Scientology’s expensive crew of former journalists hasn’t put out a magazine in a year
[SIX years ago] Scientology going ‘Ideal’ with drug rehabs too, and will replace an ailing clinic
[SEVEN years ago] Never before seen: Video from the first ‘LRH Birthday’ aboard the Scientology ‘Freewinds’
[EIGHT years ago] When L. Ron Hubbard briefly let down his guard and admitted Scientology was all a con
[NINE years ago] JIM CARREY’S SCIENTOLOGIST GIRLFRIEND ON ‘SRD’ WHEN SHE KILLED HERSELF: FRIENDS
[TEN years ago] Does a judge’s order in the Garcia fraud lawsuit suggest trouble for Scientology?
[ELEVEN years ago] Meet the New Editor of Scientology’s Propaganda Magazine, Freedom!
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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 3,038 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,533 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,048 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,598 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,588 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 4,974 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,469 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,773 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,644 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,196 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,537 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,104 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,023 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,191 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,773 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,033 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,069 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,785 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,349 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,664 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,839 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 7,390 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,521 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,859 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,712 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,833 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,189 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,492 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,598 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 3,996 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,872 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,437 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 3,949 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,204 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,312 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on September 30, 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, 1995-2023 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2023), 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
