TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Rebecca Minkoff walked away from Bravo’s ‘Real Housewives of New York’ after a less-than-stellar run as a ‘friend’ of the cast in the show’s 15th season, but it looks like she’s bouncing back by returning to what she knows so well… Promoting Scientology’s sneaky front groups! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“Three SPs, now declared, some years ago had a mutual understanding that they would not put down each other’s withholds. These three also falsified auditing reports to the effect that they had run certain things on pcs ‘and there was nothing on them,’ when in fact they either had not run them or there was reaction which they did not put into the report. They messed up about a dozen people before they were caught and it took many, many hours of careful C/Sing and auditing to salvage those cases (and it also took about two years). They made several hundred serious enemies for themselves and today I doubt any Scientologist would even speak to them and their names are remembered with scathing contempt.” — 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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“We’re not in the business of whether people are crazy or not crazy. It’s just a method of calling dirty names anyway. The psychiatrists have no idea who’s crazy and who’s sane, and so forth. It’s just a matter of saying, ‘This fellow’s no good, and the US government wants to get him out of the way so he’s crazy.’ It’s just a matter of expediency. It says en masse, ‘We don’t agree with this particular person. He sees spiders on the ceiling and we don’t. Therefore he’s crazy.’ Has nothing to do with anything we are doing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Just forget those classifications. We don’t care how potty this guy’s ideas of the physical universe are, you know, he just might have come down here from the Martian scout command or something like this, and they probably have very, very odd ideas, you see? The quality, the significance of the fellow’s ideas are no business of the auditor’s.” — L. Ron Hubbard, February 19, 1963
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“Recently Flag was divided into 3 separate orgs. The Flag Bureaux (FB), the International Management Org was the first to be formed fully. It is the FOUNDING Org of the other two. It is doing very well and has stats rising in most areas and is heavily in the Mission business. Its colour flash is GREEN. The Flag Admin Org (FAO) is the Service Org. It trains, processes and handles Finance. It has the pattern of the standard 7 Division Organization. It is the ESTABLISHING ORG. The FAO flash color is RED. The Flag Ship Org is the ship itself. It consists of the usual yacht organization functions of Command, Deck, Stewards and Galley and Engine Room. The Ship Org Flash color is BLUE….To summarize the FB is running excellently, the tech and training of the FAO is tops. Finance FAO is going in well. By constant personal work and lots of help, I have these points in hand. Now the three numbered points above must occur and every effort, including very heavy Ethics, will be made to bring them into existence. Your cooperation will be appreciated.” — The Commodore, February 19, 1971
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“A friend of mine had cancer that just vanished with auditing. The most I’ve had so far is about a year ago I was getting some auditing and I got sick. We located the suppressive terminal and it totally blew, which I thought was pretty cool. It would be cool to have a book of this stuff, sort of like the format of Have You Lived Before This Life. Maybe it doesn’t immediately cure every physical illness, but there are enough ‘miracles’ that it would be hard to deny there is something to it.”
1998: Keith Henson provided an update on the Lisa McPherson civil case against Scientology. “[T]he CoS tried to argue that they have the right to kill their members because of the First Amendment. The judge was not one bit sympathetic to this argument. Ken did have to withdraw Dr. Minkoff as a defendant for a while because Florida requires 90 notice to physicians before you can add them to a malpractice suit. Ken argued that Minkoff’s contributions were not medical, but a criminal attempt to cover up at least negligent homicide, but the judge said to do it by the books and consider Minkoff a doctor, for now and that Ken should put him back in after the 90 days are up.”
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“Confiscating people’s passports is a classic Eastern European sex trade/slave tactic. It doesn’t get more obvious and sinister.”
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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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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] Scientology’s Sea Org: Almost no pay and no sleep, but plenty of swearing and smoking!
[TWO years ago] Celebrity Sunday: John Travolta, Anne Archer, and ‘rising star’ Joy Villa
[THREE years ago] Valerie Haney asks court for reconsideration after Scientology defeat in Masterson case
[FOUR years ago] Transcript: In the Danny Masterson lawsuit, Scientology continues to get its way
[FIVE years ago] California is going ‘Ideal,’ and Scientology is on fire about it
[SIX years ago] Leah Remini accuses former Scientologists of sabotaging an episode of ‘Aftermath’
[SEVEN years ago] Atack: What David Mayo told me about L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology, and the upper levels
[EIGHT years ago] Disconnecting from the dead: Another employer accused of forcing Scientology is taken to court
[NINE years ago] DOX: A former L. Ron Hubbard business partner dishes on Scientology to the feds
[TEN years ago] HBO moves back ‘Going Clear’ to March 29 and TV’s most coveted spot: Sunday night
[ELEVEN years ago] SCIENTOLOGY’S PRAYER: The Hail Mary petition to keep David Miscavige from being deposed
[TWELVE years ago] SUPER POWER UPDATE: Scientology Has Even More Excuses Not to Open Its Boondoggle
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Joe Reaiche (1958-2024) did not see his daughter Alanna Masterson in his final 6,999 days.
Mike Rinder (1955-2025) did not see his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in his final 7,589 days.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,180 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,675 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,190 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,740 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,730 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,116 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,611 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,915 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,786 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,338 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,679 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,246 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,165 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,333 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,915 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,174 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,211 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,927 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,491 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,806 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,981 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,663 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,000 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,854 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,969 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,331 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,740 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,138 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,014 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,579 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,090 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,346 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,454 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on February 19, 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
