Bijou Phillips files to have daughter’s last name changed from ex Danny Masterson’s

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: You probably saw the news in all the major media that Bijou Phillips asked a court to have her daughter’s last name changed to her own, dropping her ex Danny Masterson’s surname. The tabs, however, seem confused about where Danny is at the moment. ALSO: Our legal roundup [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

 
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Technology Cocktail

“It has recently come to my attention that some auditors are delivering grades in outrageously short periods of time to Dianetic Clear pcs and only giving Quad Grades to the Dianetic Clear without making full use of the Expanded Grades. Such pcs are being denied the full gains of the grade processes due to Quickie Grades—out-tech…. The grades are a very essential part of the Grade Chart and must not be delivered over a persistent F/N or skimped on in any way. Let’s Keep Scientology Working!” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1979

 
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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

“Now, you will find that a rape or sexual attack may result in glasses, because this is refusal to communicate. And after all, what is a dental operation but a sort of rape, if you really think about it that way? Somebody is trying to take something away from an only partially reasoning individual who is under drugs. And what does the patient want? He wants to get away — not communicate. Do you get the idea? ‘Don’t communicate with me, don’t touch me, don’t hurt me.’ So you start up and down the track and you will find incidents here and there, and particularly locks are what you want; you don’t want to process a thousand engrams just to get off a pair of glasses. You get the times when the individual didn’t want to touch, feel, see, hear, or any of the rest of the package of communication, because that is what you are looking for.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 26, 1951

 
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Avast, Ye Mateys

“FAIR GAME for the current week for NO REPORT of stats are: Dave James, Gilbert Black, Donna Tidman, John Stevens, Adele Vonnie, Doreen Smith, Murdock McBride.” — Lt. Jeff Walker, I&R, October 26, 1970

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“I don’t believe at our current rate of disenturbulation, we will be able to recover this empire. But the goal of auditing isn’t to preserve the American or European way of life. It is to ultimately create a ‘race’ of beings who are no longer subject to the insanities of the past, and can proceed to build a society without war, insanity and criminality. And as such beings would remain that way into the indefinite future, any efforts along this line would be worthwhile. As I see it, we’ve been on this downward spiralling track of repeating the same mistakes over and over for trillions of years. Our individual lives, each one of them, have been full of needless pain and dramatization because of this. Imagine lives without all this! That is the promise of the Bridge and the Tech.”

 
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Past is Prologue

2001: The St. Petersburg Times reported that the Lisa McPherson Trust is leaving their offices in Clearwater. “The Lisa McPherson Trust, founded by New England millionaire Robert Minton and named after a Scientologist who died in the church’s care, probably will close its headquarters, but it is not clear when, Minton said. ‘For everyone’s peace of mind and to be able to continue to do what we’re trying to do, it’s better we’re not there,’ he said Friday from his New Hampshire home. ‘It’s disappointing, for sure. I don’t feel beaten. I should, but I don’t. I think we will be able to still continue what we’re doing and be able to do it somewhere more peaceably.’ Church spokesman Ben Shaw said the church is happy to see the critics go. ‘Clearwater is better off without them,’ Shaw said. ‘They came here to stir up trouble and all they managed to do is stir up trouble for themselves.’ The Lisa McPherson Trust has found itself embroiled in criminal and civil litigation with the church ever since the group arrived. The trust can’t close its offices yet because a judge has granted a church request for an independent review of trust records as part of a civil wrongful-death lawsuit that McPherson’s estate filed against the church. Even though Minton is not a party in the suit, both he and the trust have been drawn into the case, in part because Minton helped fund the lawsuit. Minton and trust staff have been deposed by church lawyers for hours. Minton and the trust have faced other legal blows. The courts ordered him to turn over all of his personal Florida bank records, now in the hands of Scientology.
And recently, the church named Minton and the Lisa McPherson Trust as co-defendants with the estate of Lisa McPherson in a lawsuit Scientology has filed against the estate. Ken Dandar, the lawyer handling the wrongful-death suit against the church, says Scientology has outmaneuvered the trust, and that has muddied his case. ‘I’m glad they’re leaving,’ Dandar said. ‘Scientology will not be able to use them. They will no longer be the pawns of Scientology.’ While the Lisa McPherson Trust will not be in Clearwater, its work, which has largely involved documenting the stories of former Scientologists, will go on, Minton said. ‘It’s going to be a more amorphous type of entity,’ Minton said. It will be headed by trust president Stacy Brooks. ‘Their absence does reduce what has been a constant state of tension in our downtown area,’ City Manager Bill Horne said. ‘That has to be seen as a positive thing in terms of the kind of tranquility we’d like to see in our downtown.’ However, former Scientologists say the trust did much to help people who were seeking answers and refuge after leaving the church. Several trust staff members were former Scientologists. ‘We felt we were alone,’ said Lawrence Woodcraft, who left the church in 1995, followed by his daughters. ‘A lot of people feel when they come out of Scientology, they’re freaks. When you speak to other people you begin to realize, it’s not me, it’s them. It’s very comforting to know that.'”

 
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Random Howdy

“Seeing as how the Church of Scientology has publicly stated that they are not a turn-the-other-cheek religion, how is any of this a shock to anyone?”

 
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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 August 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 December 1.

Civil litigation:

 
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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] Day 1 of protesting Scientology’s UK shindig goes off without a hitch
[TWO years ago] Leah Remini submits proof she’s served David Miscavige, and it looks very familiar!
[THREE years ago] Jane Doe 3’s cross-examination interrupted as the Danny Masterson trial takes a day off
[FOUR years ago] What’s happening right now in Scientology’s independent ‘Freezone’
[FIVE years ago] Scientology continues its ‘Fair Game’ of Gerry Armstrong with court hearing today
[SIX years ago] Full court press: Scientologists have been busy in the halls of justice lately
[SEVEN years ago] What the Australian press can’t say about James Packer and his Scientology adventure
[EIGHT years ago] Mirriam Francis: Picturing Scientology parents who abandon their children to abuse
[NINE years ago] Trump supporter arrested for threatening to kill Muslims at L.A. Islamic center is a Scientologist
[TEN years ago] Scientology cries religious discrimination in appeal brief filed in Maryland zoning fight
[ELEVEN years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology needs your money more than ever!
[TWELVE years ago] Jon Atack Considers L. Ron Hubbard’s Tangled Relationship With Mind-Altering Substances
[THIRTEEN years ago] Scientology on the High Seas: Vixie, Vitamins, and Satan Worshippers

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on October 26, 2025 at 07:00

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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, 1995-2024 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2024), 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, 20 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