TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Under David Miscavige, Scientology’s original plan has been jettisoned for a more direct approach: Prying ever more cash out of a dwindling membership. And now, new photos have arrived, showing that handing out trophies to donors only once a year is simply not enough for Dave! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“An obsessive gambler is a psychotic just like a drug addict or an alcoholic. They are handled the way you handle any other psychotic. They don’t have to do anything for real in life because it all depends on chance and never on themselves. So you have them on the minus effect scale. Life isn’t real to a psychotic gambler and therefore they never really buckle down to anything. Consequences are unreal to them and criminal acts are incomprehensible as nothing is real anyway. Getting off overts is nothing to such people because they are not there and take no responsibility for them. Everything else is responsible—not them. Thus you have to find the trail to the R/Ses on the subject and discharge those.” — 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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“One of the things which I am very pleased to announce immediately is that we have seldom failed in recent months to raise the intelligence quotient of any individual undergoing 25 hours of processing, at least 10 points. And for those who have undergone as much as 75 hours of processing, we have raised it as much as 35 points and consider it routine 25 points. This is something that has never happened before, and therefore it is an important thing that we take a look at this. According to psychology, this is an impossibility — completely impossible.” — L. Ron Hubbard, June 3, 1955
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“Commodore’s Transport is transferred to Div IV, Transport Section. Ship’s boats, all cars aboard are included in its activities. Des Popham and Arthur Hubbard are transferred to this Transport Section. The 1st Mate is now responsible for care and routine checks on vehicles as well as lifeboats, their lowering gear, sleds and motor handling.” — The Commodore, June 3, 1970
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“L. Ron Hubbard is the basic engram. When I recognized that I immediately felt more alive. I could hear the wind, feel the wind flowing through my body, see the leaves moving. To carry on a mission like Scientology you need more than raw intelligence, you need a havingness for Truth, a degree of acceptance. At the end of the day, LRH is the one who set up the Church, the one who started the abuses, and everyone else agreed to follow. That’s the truth! LRH was after all, and for all his life, an Anglo-Saxon, a man imbued in the sins and the traits of his culture. Too little human. This is not a comment against Scientology, quite the contrary. Scientology is a chest full of gold, the thing you need to know. The danger of going with the misunderstood to follow LRH is the thing you need to avoid to succeed in the mission. As long as you don’t as-is, you are subjected to fail. That being said, LRH is still my second favorite person, and only two persons have impressed me that much. [Who’s the first?] Adolf Hitler.”
1996: An article was posted this week from the Bakersfield Californian concerning the case of a man convicted of felonies related to explosives and weapons. He was also linked to an attempt to bomb the cult’s buildings in Los Angeles. “The Oregon man who set off a massive explosion inside his van during a standoff with Bakersfield police in February pleaded guilty to three felonies in Superior Court on Friday. In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to drop four other felony charges against David Lee Enteman, 39, who will now face up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced June 27. An investigation by Bakersfield police revealed that Enteman was obsessed with the president of the International Church of Scientology, Karen Hollander, and intended to explode a bomb at church headquarters in Los Angeles.”
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“There’s no shortage of angry disaffected white people in this country. It’s scary.”
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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:
— 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. Leah’s appeal brief due June 3.
— 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] Who is actually writing Scientology’s nasty online attacks turns out to be a shocker
[TWO years ago] Exclusive: Danny Masterson’s former stepdad on what the family can expect from Scientology
[THREE years ago] What Scientology’s nutty ‘OT 3’ — the Xenu tale — taught one member about Sea Org slavery
[FOUR years ago] Not only did Scientology get PPP loans: Check out these Scientologists who got bailouts too!
[FIVE years ago] Kirstie Alley lets her Scientology hang out and fans react with predictable hilarity
[SIX years ago] Reader, can you help this father who wants to keep his son out of Scientology?
[SEVEN years ago] The US government continues to fret over how other countries treat Scientology
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology to federal court: A judge calling our members directly? Are you nuts?
[NINE years ago] ‘Ross & Carrie’ conclude their Scientology investigation by calling it ‘ridiculously creepy’
[TEN years ago] Scientology routed: What the national press hasn’t figured out about the Trout Run defeat
[ELEVEN years ago] Federal judge again declines to intervene for Ken Dandar, but leaves a door open
[TWELVE years ago] L. Ron Hubbard Intends to Rid You Of a 43-Trillion-Year-Old Implant. What Was That Like?
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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 3,284 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,779 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,294 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,844 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,834 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,220 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,715 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,019 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,888 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,442 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,783 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,350 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,269 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,437 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,019 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,278 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,315 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,031 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,595 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,910 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,085 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,767 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,104 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,958 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,073 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,435 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,844 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,240 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,118 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,683 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,194 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,450 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,558 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on June 3, 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
