TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: For the first time we have photo evidence of Isabella Cruise attending a Scientology IAS event, held annually at the church’s UK headquarters to celebrate its biggest donors. She was at the Patrons Ball last night, where her dad Tom Cruise usually also makes the scene. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“When a person is not functioning well on his post, on his job or in life, at the bottom of his difficulties will often be found unknown basic definitions and laws or false definitions, false data and false laws, resulting in an inability to think with the words and rules of that activity and an inability to perform the simplest required functions The person will remain unfamiliar with the fundamentals of his activity, at times appearing idiotic, because of these not-defined and falsely defined words. Verbal hatting is the main source of false definitions and false data. Someone who ‘knows’ tells someone else a definition or a datum. The person now thinks he knows the definition (even though nothing in the field makes any sense to him). The word may not even read on the meter during misunderstood checks because the person ‘thinks he knows.'” — 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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“I, one time, asked a bunch of mothers why they didn’t shorten the school hours and so forth and make it a little bit easier on the kids and so forth. And they were shocked. And I very carefully cross-questioned them and discovered that uniformly these ladies had no idea whatsoever of their child being educated — that there was any advantage whatsoever in learning how to read or write or do things in school, but boy, you sure had a lot of free time there with no kids underfoot! Now, that’s a brutal statement, but that’s why they put the kids in school; school is a wonderful method. These people, by the way, had children in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth grades. And they were — they were flabbergasted that I would be interested in whether or, what the child was being taught and what good it was doing the child.” — L. Ron Hubbard, November 2, 1953
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“WEATHER: It was a lovely day yesterday. It was quite warm and sunny. A cable, however, came in from ‘Sublime Headquarters,’ very garbled. ‘You were supposed to move SOUTH not to the south SIDE of the island. On the (illegible) of (illegible) spread (blank) jellybeans.’ I put this through our code machine but could make nothing of it at all. It is very aggravating to be hit when we have already obeyed the order. Miscommunication or something. They haven’t got all the facts. On the other hand our own intelligence agents have uncovered a conspiracy campaign put out by Nelson Killafeller, Head Vulture of Smersh to knock out all the Duck beams and disrupt the entire migration. Killafeller originated the ‘Vultures for World Conquest’ movement. This evidently requires, according to a long, long report that came in on lines that all other birds must be stockaded and implanted to make the world safe for vultures. I don’t know but I don’t think Webspread ought to be off post at this time.” — The Commodore, November 2, 1970
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“Captain Bill said in his tech briefing number five, it’s on Youtube, that once you do ot3 and the solo stuff you will no longer be at affect of the implanters. I disagree because once someone has done that stuff they still have to breathe chemtrail air, they still have no idea what chemtrails are, they still can get tricked by a false flag like 9/11, they still can get abducted by an alien and get semen taken then have a false memory implanted as to what occurred during the abduction. I’m sure they’ve had great wins but I think what Captain Bill has said makes someone think they can become invincible just by doing the levels alone. I don’t think so.”
2001: Anti-Scientology activist Rose Paul died this week in Florida. “Rose Paul lost a daughter to Scientology in the mid 1970’s. Rose Paul was an anti-scientology activist for many years. She was a long time fighter, At the University of Miami they gave her a table and she handed out materials to new students for many years, telling them about the dangers of cults, of course she stressed the most killer cult of all – Scientology. Rose Paul’s daughter is on staff in Scientology in Clearwater. Rose Paul’s daughter is Nina Palmer stationed in Clearwater. Nina disconnected from her mother in 1976. She did not show up when Rose died nor did she ever visit her in the past 25 years. Rose Paul was a wonderful woman as many of us know and felt her love and care. Rose Paul participated in the
picket Clearwater in march ’96, she was 85 years of age at that time.” From the St. Petersburg Times on November 7th: “BANKS, FAITH, 71, of Clearwater, died Monday (Nov. 5, 2001) at Sabal Palms Health Care Center, Largo. She was born in Winter Haven, and came here in 1989 from Miami. She retired after 27 years as a minister in the Church of Scientology and was a member of the church in Clearwater. She was a practical philosopher and an artist working in stained glass and sketches and she enjoyed gardening. Survivors include a daughter, Rebecca Eisenman; a son, Nicholas Mellon; and a granddaughter, Sara Eisenman.”
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“Miscavige became Emperor through the Hubbard-approved Roman rules of ascension, which he achieved by his control of the Praetorian guard of the Sea Org, the CMO. Once becoming Caesar, how could he smash his name into the history books of his hermit kingdom? He can’t add to the ‘tech’ so all that is left for him to do is BUILD BUILD BUILD. It’s all about the ruinous runt’s ego.”
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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:
— 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 was filed June 3. Respondent briefs are due September 2.
— 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 Does’ response to Scientology’s appeal brief submitted July 30. Scientology’s reply due October 20.
— 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 glimpses of Scientology’s big UK party that really swung!
[TWO years ago] PODCAST: Has Scientology nixed the protest’s road closure? Alex has the update
[THREE years ago] Scientology propaganda even more tone deaf than usual with trial going on
[FOUR years ago] ELEVENTH CIRCUIT UPHOLDS SCIENTOLOGY ARBITRATION, DENIES GARCIA APPEAL
[FIVE years ago] Can Danny Masterson’s attorneys delay his arraignment on rape charges again today?
[SIX years ago] VIDEO LEAK: Late-stage Scientology is even more depressing than we thought
[SEVEN years ago] Freewinds, part 3: How the cruise ship fits Scientology’s methods of obfuscation and lies
[EIGHT years ago] Read the threatening letter Danny Masterson’s attorney Marty Singer sent a victim’s husband
[NINE years ago] What the first trailer for Leah Remini’s Scientology series tells us about her show
[TEN years ago] Chapter by chapter, the best parts of Leah Remini’s book ‘Troublemaker’
[ELEVEN years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology is finger lickin’ good!
[TWELVE years ago] Jon Atack Answers The Question: How Do Smart People Fall for Scientology?
[THIRTEEN years ago] Scientology on the High Seas: The Final Dispatches
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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 3,435 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,939 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,445 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,995 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,985 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,371 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,866 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,170 days.
Marc Headley has not seen his mother Trudy in 4,821 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 4,039 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,593 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,934 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,505 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,421 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,588 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,170 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,429 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,466 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,181 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 3,746 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 2,061 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,236 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,918 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,255 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,108 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,224 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,586 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,997 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,385 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,269 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,834 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,345 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,605 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,709 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on November 2, 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, 1995-2024 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
