TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Scientology recently suffered a setback in its ongoing takeover of Clearwater, Florida. But as Bruce Hines reminds us, the church’s schemes in this fight go back decades. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“Never subtract anything from a Confessional. The best method is to write out a predetermined series of questions, as an additional thing, which is for that person particularly. You figure out about what their relationship to life has been, and then you write a little special series of questions. It’s always possible to write up an additional list. Don’t make that the only Confessional form. Give that along with a standard Confessional. You get the idea of what kind of life your preclear has been leading, what his professional and domestic zones are, and you adapt Confessional questions to that and you add it to standard forms.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1977
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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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“It’s pretty hard to complete a cycle in a half a billion years. You can try. And you get it down to a million years, and of course, to get anything done in a million years and make it stick, that’s really going some, man, you’re really on your way, that’s tearing the ground up in all directions. The length of time since the birth of Chr — the alleged birth of Christ — is so short, that before you’ve gone very long on the road to OT, you could probably remember what you had for breakfast in the year 2, and during the third day of the Saturnalia or something like that. Not that you would, probably cause you as much work to remember what you had for breakfast that morning as it does now to remember what you had for breakfast yesterday, see. You probably can’t think of what you had for breakfast yesterday right now. So that is a very finite period of time. That’s a very short period of time. A couple of thousand years, nothing. I’d like a couple of thousand years just to sit on a rock and look at the scenery — one of my ambitions.” — L. Ron Hubbard, May 30, 1963
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“PERSONAL HYGIENE: CS-6 and the Public Officer’s nominee should compose a short course on personal hygiene and cleanliness. A ship is a small place. In old navies the penalty was a bath with sand and canvas and a ducking for those with deficiencies.” — The Commodore, May 30, 1970
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“If you’re a big enough Thetan and you stay on the Bridge, you will be like floating, your postulates creating anything you desire pretty much and you will be completely protected from any other SP’s invalidation. It’s like another world that they can’t touch. So I don’t agree with their validation affecting us. Yes, the other entities attached to us could, no doubt, but the OT levels detach all of those – and still creating magic, like creating MEST out of thin air is not possible for anybody on this planet! It’s also a mystery why in other planets why Thetans can destroy all the people on them. I projected myself in full color from all around a planet and reached down and tortured all the people just before getting implanted and coming here. So there must be some sort of ‘protection’ around this planet so other Thetans can’t do that here – maybe a force screen? But still the creating MEST out of thin air is not possible and is a mystery as of yet.”
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1999: Mark Bunker distributed leaflets at a Scientology event at Border’s book store in Glendale, California. “This was his first time at a ‘picket’ and I use that term loosely because it certainly was not organized to be any sort of picket. In fact, I just wanted to come and shoot a little footage not knowing what would happen. I had a large batch of Lisa flyers and ‘No Christ’ flyers from Jeff Jacobsen (thanks Jeff) and this gentleman was very pleased to hand them out. We spent about a half an hour in front of the store, answering questions and passing out flyers. While speaking with one woman outside, she informed me that she will never buy a book from Borders again. That certainly wasn’t my intent in being there but who am I to say where she should shop. The Scientologists made sure that I was not allowed to shoot inside but I put the camera outside the main door and shot there. This did seem to cause some enturbulation inside where the Scientologists had a modest table, seating two, not very far past the main entrance. There were a few copies of Hubbard books and a sign offering free ‘Stress tests’. I understand they also had an e-meter but I did not see it. I occasionally went through the store before shooting and saw an occasional wog seated at the table but there was no throng waiting to hear about the fastest growing religion. After a half hour, I went in to talk to the folks at the table but they were packing up and leaving. The woman from the table came over and told the guy that I was some ‘loony’. That amused me. I told her, ‘So, I’m loony because I know about Xenu blowing us up in volcanoes 75 million years ago when Earth was known as Teegeeack, but Hubbard wasn’t loony for thinking it up?’ No response. There were several other Scientologists there with their cell phones and walkie talkies including…DAN!!! One of the two fellows who picketed my home. I leapt with joy at the sight of my old friend and went over with my hand outstretched but he refused to shake it. I tried to communicate with him but he picked up a book and stuck his nose in it and wouldn’t blink. I told him how much sympathy he had garnered on the net from folks watching him in my revenge picket video but he didn’t budge. I invited him outside to appear on camera but he didn’t seem interested. I finally gave up and went out to get my camera.”
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“First there was the Thetaverse and the Thetans were born, and through shared agreement and control of MEST (superpowers) they created other universes and then they created the MEST universe so they could assume physical form and have a playground to play ‘games’ in and enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. But eventually they forgot all this. And I thought to myself, ‘Hey, isn’t this a Star Trek or Outer Limits episode?’”
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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 June 13.
— ‘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 June 16.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, convicted of fraud. Sentenced to 7 years in prison.
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. 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. Trial has been set for January 10, 2028.
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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] More job listings for Scientologists from Scientology’s sneaky front
[TWO years ago] New website sets out to document Scientology cancer and other deaths
[THREE years ago] The subchaser that never was: L. Ron Hubbard’s farcical first command
[FOUR years ago] Today at The Daily Beast: Ron and Leni, a Scientology mystery solved
[FIVE years ago] Steve Cannane wrote the book about Scientology in Australia — and now he’s on trial
[SIX years ago] Scientology’s slick new ‘Freewinds’ magazine surprisingly makes no mention of measles
[SEVEN years ago] Bad boys of the Sea Org: guns, drugs, murder and Scientology
[EIGHT years ago] To counter Leah Remini’s return to A&E, Scientology recruits her father in smear attack
[NINE years ago] How Scientology’s smears of Ron Miscavige could end up a bigger problem for his son Dave
[TEN years ago] Jon Atack: Auditing and recovered memory — why do Scientologists accept it as fact?
[ELEVEN years ago] Three videos the Church of Scientology would rather you not watch
[TWELVE years ago] Word To Your Mother: Dianetics And Its Lack of Boundaries
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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 3,280 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,775 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,290 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,840 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,830 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,216 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,711 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,015 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,884 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,438 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,779 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,346 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,265 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,433 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,015 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,274 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,311 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,027 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,591 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,906 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,081 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,763 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,100 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,954 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,069 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,431 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,840 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,236 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,114 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,679 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,190 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,446 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,554 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on May 30, 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
