Your house is a charred ruin: It’s time for Scientology to hand out awards!

 
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Is your house in Pacific Palisades or Altadena just a pile of ashes? Was your life turned upside down by apocalyptic wildfires, evacuations, and now the chance of mudslides? After a month like that, you might not feel like celebrating. But for Scientology, it’s time to party! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

 
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Technology Cocktail

“In 1970 I began a full-scale research project into the subject of insanity and its relationship to cases and case gains and suppression. It was only then that the full significance of the Rockslam was unearthed. This research developed into what is now called EXPANDED DIANETICS, a series of special processes and actions with their drills and training which permits the auditor to handle a specific case type. This was, by the way, Man’s first system of positive detection and handling of psychosis and the first full understanding of what psychosis is.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1976

 
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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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Source Code

“One girl had married a man named Tom. She was very dissatisfied with Tom. She very much liked a fellow named George. She separated from Tom and married George. We took her into her past and found that her mother was married to a man named George and was very much afraid that George would leave her. All this was in the poor girl’s engrams. They told her she had to love George and stay with George. There was a person in the case named Tom whom her mother detested. This girl had been in love with about twenty-three men, all named George. This was a reactive mind marriage.” — L. Ron Hubbard, February 13, 1951

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“What one gets Comm Eved for is in the P/Ls, FOs, FSOs, CBOs and HCOBs. You can’t be Comm Eved for failing to follow an illegal order. You sure can be for departing from policy issues. Orders don’t equal orders equal orders. That’s the road to disaster. Some orders are senior to others. A dock worker telling you to put on your jacket is not the same as your division head telling you to do so. You have policy to keep things straight. If policy doesn’t cover, request clarification. If you are doing something other than your hat, sooner or later it will catch up to you. I count on you to wear your hat as laid down by P/Ls, FOs, CBOs, FSOs and HCOBs. Don’t let me down.” — The Commodore (1971)

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“The One World Government is here and there are 3 alternatives for this One World: Gray ETs, Marcabians or Scientologists. No. 1 is the mind control agenda of the Gray ETs/US Military at deep underground military bases in western USA. (As described in Bill Robertson’s ‘UFO Lecture’). No. 2 is the Marcabians/European Union model of Economic Control and mass media manipulation. (As described in Bill Robertson’s ‘UFO Lecture’). No. 3 is Hubbard’s Plan for an International City and a new civilization. This is described in the taped lectures ‘International City’ and ‘The Free Being.’ Captain Bill Robertson (founder of the Scientology Free Zone) also has more plans on this with his New Civilization Plan lectures an programs and the ‘UFO Lecture.’ The democratic wogs and ‘Scienos’ in your friend’s list have chosen alternative No. 1, the Gray ET/US military base mind control agenda. European wogs, American and Scienos in favor of Income Tax, have chosen alternative 2, the Marcabian’s/EU control by economics and mass media. Not as bad as the first one. Scientologists in CoS, the Free Zone, independents and some non Scientology OTs support Alternative 3, the agenda of freedom as described in the taped lecture ‘The Free Being.’”

Past is Prologue

1999: Frequent Scientology protester Gregg Hagglund reported a visit to his elderly parents this week by representatives of Scientology. “One Catherine Manning and one AL Buttnor attempted to trick my parents into permitting them to enter their home. My parents are in their 80s and not in the best of health. I had extended the No Trespassing Notice I gave the Co$ to include my brothers home (which the Co$ had visited once before) and my parents home. It may be possible to bring charges of Criminal Assault by Trespass. My mother answered the door to a man and woman who identified themselves as Scientologists and wanted to come in and discuss ‘your son’s religious bigotry.’ My mother told them to go away and closed the door on them. This was the purpose of the visit. To let me know Co$ can reach out and impose themselves on my family members, cause upset and lend family pressure for me to ‘mind my own business’. Well while I love my parents and do not want them to suffer further upset I will not cease my open criticism of the Co$. I will not be intimidated or ‘shuddered into silence’ in this fashion.”

 
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Random Howdy

“Scientology was touted as the religion for the space age, but stylistically it’s firmly stuck in the time period of, let’s say, 1950 to the 1980s. In its own way Scientology and its members come across as being every bit as tragically unhip as their Fundamentalist Christian counterparts. Squares from Space.”

 
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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, 2023. DA’s response to appeal brief due April 15.
— ‘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 February 24.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, convicted of fraud, awaiting sentencing.

Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Judge Hammock’s ruling is on appeal.
— 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. Judge Upindra Kalra’s ruling denying Scientology’s motion to strike is on appeal.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, gets ruling to depose Jane Doe 1.

 
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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] As Scientology tries to cut down lawsuit by Danny Masterson victims, more allegations
[TWO years ago] When John Travolta first opened up about his Scientology involvement
[THREE years ago] Here’s the 2022 Scientology Super Bowl ad, this year’s ‘mystery sandwich’
[FOUR years ago] Let’s bring one of Scientology’s most notorious bag men out of the shadows
[FIVE years ago] Agency that wouldn’t check on Shelly Miscavige makes visit to Underground Bunker commenter
[SIX years ago] ‘Aftermath’ subject Brandon Reisdorf arrested for entering San Diego Scientology church
[SEVEN years ago] Evidence, finally, of how Scientology obsessively tracks down its former members
[EIGHT years ago] A new document shows how much Scientology obsesses over every member’s status
[NINE years ago] SCIENTOLOGY’S SPACE MAN: As of 2013, active Scientologists fewer than 20,000 worldwide
[TEN years ago] Days before crucial hearing, Scientology pulls out a ghost to sway a federal judge
[ELEVEN years ago] Scientology video: Some of the best L. Ron Hubbard word salad ever
[TWELVE years ago] Underground Bunker Reader Gets Declared a Suppressive Person by Scientology

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on February 13, 2025 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

 

Tony Ortega at Rolling Stone