Oh wow, what a treat it was to get to talk to both “Brothers Broken” — musicians and former Scientology Sea Org members Geoff and Robbie Levin — for our podcast this week.
We’ve discussed their story before: They were the core members of the band People! that had a big 1968 hit, “I Love You,” but then were sucked into Scientology and helped Yvonne Gillham as she was creating the Hollywood Celebrity Centre.
Robbie soon soured on the Sea Org and left, and then Scientology’s toxic “disconnection” policy kept them apart as Geoff spent a total of 46 years in the organization, becoming a mainstay of the Celebrity Centre and creator of some Scientology’s most iconic music.
Finally, after Geoff nearly died and began making his way out of Scientology, the brothers were reunited and People! was reformed. But disconnection has not loosened its grip, as Scientology has separated Geoff from his own grown children.
Now, after several years of hard work, Geoff and Robbie are premiering their documentary in theaters, and you have a chance to go!
Here are the dates and times.
The US premiere of Brothers Broken…
Cinequest Film Festival, San Jose, CA
Sunday August 20: Hammer Theatre Center, 4:30 pm
Saturday August 26: Mountain View ShowPlace ICON Theatre & Kitchen, 11:30 am.
Also, the Los Angeles premiere…
At the Studio City Film Festival
Sunday Sept 3, Laemmle NoHo 7, 5240 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, 7:30 pm
But today’s podcast is about more than what’s in the movie. In fact, Robbie told us a story about David Miscavige we’d never heard before, and it’s really something: In 1983, Robbie and Geoff threw a party for Scientology’s celebrities as a way to lure in Miscavige, and it worked! You have to hear Robbie tell this tale.
Listen to or watch the podcast here.
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Technology Cocktail
“The reason one gets amnesia on his past lives or even denies their existence lies with responsibility. He or she is unwilling to take responsibility for having been this or that other identity. This keys in in present time and closes one down every time one stops taking responsibility for one’s fellows. Fighting ‘other identities’ in present time one ceases to be responsible for other identities. Therefore those he has had in the past become ‘other people’ and one dramatizes his own past identities because he cannot take responsibility for them.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1959
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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
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“Apparently transfers from the Galley without apprenticeship or replacement and Quadruple hatting the food purchaser so he simply used the food chandler ashore are some of the obvious whys back of the sudden recent drop in food quality. The WHYs being advertised are the wrong whys — low allocation is a wrong why. The food isn’t kept to allocation and has become VERY expensive for very low quality due to using a chandler. This would not remedy the increased allocation as the allocation is already not followed. Advertising this as the why or remedying it will not restore food quality.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 12, 1971
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“SURVEY: A great job was done in the E/R, by D/Capt, Ship’s Rep and 1st Mate and others in passing the survey. Possibly we even get our Lloyd’s Yacht Class. We are a yacht by registry. A Lloyds yacht class is different and useful. But true enough, in dismantling working installations for survey and reassembly, when we tried to start up one engine just wouldn’t start. A valve had been reversed! And an injector bleed valve was leaking. Two tugs were on hand as a precaution. Our E/R guys put it right quickly. Must have been an awful shock to push the starting lever and have nothing happen. That’s how it goes when working installations get dismantled!” — The Commodore, August 12, 1970
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“I’m sure you have heard that Earth is a prison planet, and I feel that this is true since, in 40-odd years of spiritual counseling, I have never encountered a rebuttal to that story. Instead, I keep running into spirits who have been sent here as expatriated criminals from other civilizations. Most of these spirits seem to have been implanted and so reduced in awareness and capability that they are no longer capable of running a body. Instead, they seem to flock around beings who are running bodies and act as observers and occasionally as spirit guides or guardian angels. Those of you who are reading this article are among the fortunate few who still retain enough personality to run a body and behave as a human being while accompanied through life by a horde of discarnate spirits.”
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2000: “Tampawog” and “Randy” reported a protest at the Clearwater Bank building this week. “Myself and 6 others did a little informal picket in front of and across the street from the Clearwater Bank Building. We were successful in getting the Scientologists to re-route their people to avoid us. Randy educated some tourists who said they were Missionaries in Haiti. He gave them the lowdown on what Hubbard said about Christ and all that. Plenty of folks driving by showed support by blowing the horn and yelling. My ‘handler’ was Hans, who said he had to leave Germany because of Ursula Caberta. He wouldn’t talk much about Lisa McPherson, or how much his ‘church’ charges for their services. My handler was actually a rather nice fellow, and a ‘new’ face lately. He was curious to know why my picket sign said ‘Scientology is NOT a Religion’ I told him that ‘source’ himself had said that scientology was an ‘applied philosophy’, whereupon he immediately ‘corrected’ me saying ‘applied RELIGIOUS philosophy’. I told him that one of us obviously had an M/U here and maybe we should consult someone. Our friend the skinny blonde woman with the German accent approached the three of us. She began with her now familiar ‘You guys are fat’, ‘You smell bad’ routine. The nice OT V fellow exclaimed ‘HEY!, I’m with YOU!’ to her.”
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“Refusal to accept one’s own mortality and a belief by humans that they are something more than just another species of animal is what drives this insanity.”
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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. Sentencing on Sep 7.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Trial scheduled for August 15.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.
Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Complaint filed August 2, hearing on proof of service on Oct 3.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to arbitration. Plaintiffs allowed interlocutory appeal to Eleventh Circuit.
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Appellate court removes requirement of arbitration on January 19, case remanded back to Superior Court. Stay in place at least through sentencing of Masterson on Sep 7.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Next hearing Nov 6.
— Chiropractors Steve Peyroux and Brent Detelich, stem cell fraud: Ordered to mediation.
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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] A shaky day handling life and death at Scientology’s Hollywood Celebrity Centre
[TWO years ago] Scientology in England faces huge tax bills on its properties, and keeps failing to evade them
[THREE years ago] Valerie Haney’s suit against Scientology back to square one after court setback
[FOUR years ago] My brother, the Scientologist: Trying to bridge the gap when Hubbardism is in the way
[FIVE years ago] If Scientology is hurting, have its ‘expansion’ plans slowed down? Here’s our assessment
[SIX years ago] Garcia case update: Has Judge Whittemore managed to fill a Scientology arbitrating panel?
[SEVEN years ago] Former workers file EEOC complaints saying Grant Cardone forced Scientology on them
[EIGHT years ago] Scenes from the increasingly desperate straits Scientology finds itself in
[NINE years ago] Mark Bunker: Clearwater is being pressured to knuckle under to Scientology (again)
[TEN years ago] THIS IS THE SOUND OF SCIENTOLOGY’S FORCED DISCONNECTION
[ELEVEN years ago] Scientology Sunday Funnies: Bowl With The Valley Girls!
[TWELVE years ago] Scientology Sees Fundraising Gold in the UK Riots: “We Have a Strategy”
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,119 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 3,634 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,184 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,174 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,055 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,359 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,230 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 2,335 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 4,782 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,124 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 12,690 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 8,609 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 4,776 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,358 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 4,619 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 3,655 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,371 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,935 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,250 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,425 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,976 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,107 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,445 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,300 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,419 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 2,775 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,078 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,184 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 3,582 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,458 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,023 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 3,536 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 3,790 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,899 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 12, 2023 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, 1995-2022 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2022), 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
