TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: It’s always interesting to see major media take on Scientology, and put in so much care as in the film that aired last night in France. We especially dug the Xenu sequence, the best since Alex Gibney’s HBO movie ‘Going Clear’ and its OT 3 telling in 2015. We have screenshots! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“Drugs are essentially poisons. The degree they are taken determines the degree of effect they have. A small amount gives a stimulant. A greater amount acts as a sedative. An even larger amount acts as a poison and can be fatal. This is true of any drug. Drugs have unfortunately become very common and widely used in our society during the last 15 or 20 years. In the 1960s it became apparent what drugs can do to a case.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1980
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“Get a picture of a cat and say it belongs in 1810. A picture of a cow and say it belongs in 1830. Picture of a pig, say it belongs in the year 1. A picture of a woman, say it belongs in the second century BC. Continue with that exercise, any picture, any date. Any picture, any date. OK. Now let’s find some places you are not. All right.” — L. Ron Hubbard, February 16, 1954
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“AMONGST THE STARS: Bill Franks – Clear OT; Bill Franks – L10; Lucy Mielczarek – OT VII; Rob Sanderson – OT II, Anthony Azzarella – Grade V Power Plus Release; Richard Peterson – Grade V Power Release; Bill Franks – FEBC Internship; Elith Schaltz – FEBC; Mike Rubio – FEBC; Bill Tucker – Management Power Rundown; Bruce Stern – Org Officer/Prod Officer Mini Hat; Susan Prieur – 3rd Class Missionaire; Susan Rubio – 3rd Class Missionaire; Suzette Hubbard – Moped Operator.” — Love, George C & A, February 16, 1971
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“While it seems true that LRH didn’t complete his engineering degree, he had some engineering schooling, he was a consummate engineer in how he thought; and many engineers were confident he had an engineer’s mind, including my father who was a software engineer. I was once shown a 1950 dictionary whose entry for Dianetics read ‘a mental science developed by American engineer, L. Ron Hubbard,’ and so I wonder if history has been revised/files have been corrupted, as dictionary writers tend to do good research work, I think.”
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1996: Grady Ward posted this week that he will be picketing in San Francisco on the same day as the planned protest in Clearwater, Florida. “I’m planning to be at the San Francisco Org with video camera and with a long-playing tape of pure Hubbard to confront the scientology criminals. For radio amateurs I will be monitoring a simplex frequency in both VHF/UHF to be announced later (do bring your portables since they would have been useful at the SF Org last time to report on what the criminal cult of scientology was doing on the other side of the building in a ‘counter picket’. Radios also help to reinforce the criminal cult belief that they are at the center of a coordinated global conspiracy of alien implants.) There is plenty of room for leafleteers, pickets, refreshment support, video and sound documentary, chatting up Quiros and the buxom Sea Org matrons, and general lurking.”
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“It’s just like the mob, if you’re a money maker, you’re golden. You can molest the kids, murder your mistress etc but as long as you’re UPSTAT you’re a HERO. This statement by Hubbard is all the proof that the indies or anyone else should ever need to convince them that it was never about anything else except the money.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7, 2023. Appeal now fully briefed, waiting for 2nd Appellate District court to set a hearing date. Masterson has also submitted a habeas corpus petition.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Pleaded guilty on Nov 10 to a 17-year prison sentence (eligible for parole in two to three more years). Awaiting transfer to state prison.
— Aaron Matthes charged for SA of child under 12 years old: OT Scientologist facing multiple mandatory life sentences. Next pretrial court hearing set for Feb 2.
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 respondent’s brief is due February 11.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ 15 days of arbitration completed, Val waiting for further word from the IJC.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson. Judge Upindra Kalra’s ruling denying Scientology’s motion to strike is on appeal. Appeal fully briefed. Motion to replace Jane Does’ AI-tainted brief denied by court. Awaiting a court hearing date.
— 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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Other links: The prosecution of Danny Masterson. Leah Remini’s Fair Game Podcast. Leah Remini’s A&E Series. Scientology’s Celebrities, from A to Z. Bryan Seymour’s suppressed series, 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 hit with cookie-cutter lawsuit about sharing data with Facebook
[TWO years ago] Ribbon watch: Will Austin outsprint Paris for Scientology ‘Ideal’ glory?
[THREE years ago] TRANSCRIPT: Experienced OT auditor secretly taped dishing on the state of Scientology today
[FOUR years ago] SCIENTOLOGY DENIED: Appeals court refuses to rehear arbitration ruling in Masterson case
[FIVE years ago] That Scientology spying operation on Anonymous? Yeah, we have video too
[SIX years ago] Scientology and eyesight: The familiar totem of claiming clarity of vision to emulate Ron
[SEVEN years ago] In homophobic Scientology, you are required to write up your sins or else
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology scare tactics used against woman who reported its quack therapy for kids
[NINE years ago] Louis Theroux enjoys UK award for ‘My Scientology Movie’ ahead of US release
[TEN years ago] Science Fiction smackdown: L. Ron Hubbard, the pith helmet-wearing ‘pipsqueak Prometheus’
[ELEVEN years ago] The paranoid, depressed L. Ron Hubbard: Jim Dincalci’s 1997 ‘Secret Lives’ TV interview
[TWELVE years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology is having a grand re-opening at Big Blue this Saturday!
[THIRTEEN years ago] Scientology Mythbusting with Jon Atack: And With Help From Harlan Ellison!
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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 3,541 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 4,045 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,551 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 4,101 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 3,091 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,477 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,972 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,276 days.
Marc Headley has not seen his mother Trudy in 4,927 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 4,145 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,699 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 5,040 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,611 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,527 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,694 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,276 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,535 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,287 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 3,852 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 2,167 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,342 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 5,024 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,361 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,214 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,330 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,692 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 4,103 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,491 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,375 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,939 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,451 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,711 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,815 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on February 16, 2026 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter.
Our book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is 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)
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Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
