TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Scientology has a new issue of Impact magazine out, and it’s time for some whale watching! Just a couple of weeks before this year’s IAS bash a new list of donors has been released, and we always like to see who’s adding to church leader David Miscavige’s mountainous slush fund. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“When somebody talks to you his intention is to continue in a parity where he can have an interchange of communication, which is to say a game. He takes knowingness from you, and gives knowingness to you, with one form of communication or another. Two soldiers fighting and shooting at each other are using a bullet to make the other man know. What is there to know in this situation? That one is dead, of course, and for the victor, that one has won.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1972
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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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““Now, ‘When did the PC’s physical body change characteristics?’ Getting this out of women, you will have to take the E-Meter and beat them over the head. A woman at 110 will never admit that her body changed anything from that of a beautiful 16-year-old girl, or something like that, you know? It’s just things they won’t talk about, so you have to pull that the hard way. Go ahead and grab it.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 11, 1961
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“On Flag we have a maxim that we get it in on Flag before we yell at the deficiencies of others elsewhere. The housewife can’t clean up her neighbors if she can’t scrub her own kitchen. So, Steward’s Dorm, let’s see you set an example on your own home and then export it to the ship. Ernie and Annabelle made a good start on their yesterday. Others there give a hand.” — The Commodore, October 11, 1970
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“I badly broke my right arm in 1997, and the doctors told me it was too big a gap to heal, and I would need a false arm. Anyway they put me in plaster for seven weeks just in case it would heal by a miracle. I had touch assists for several weeks, and when I went back to the hospital, the doctor was amazed to see bone was growing across the gap. My arm was saved!”
1999 An affidavit by Scientology leader David Miscavige was posted to a.r.s this week. It was filed in the Wollersheim case, in which Lawrence Wollersheim is attempting to have Scientology pay a multi-million dollar judgment, even after bankrupting the Church of Scientology of California. Some excerpts:
“A great deal has been made of my role and authority in the Scientology religion because of my position as RTC’s Chairman of the Board. Let me emphasize that I am not ‘Chairman of Scientology.’ It is RTC, as a whole, that is responsible for the orthodoxy of the Scientology faith. It then
follows that as Chairman of RTC, its most senior executive, I am entrusted with the ecclesiastical position that has the highest scriptural authority within the religion. My authority derives exclusively from that position and extends no further than RTC’s mission. In summary, my job is to ensure RTC carries out its function of assuring the orthodox and proper use of the Scientology religious ‘technology.’ My duties are completely unrelated to, and I do not participate in, the ecclesiastic governance of the many churches of Scientology around the world. That function is performed by Church of Scientology International.
“As Chairman of RTC, I am not the ‘successor’ to L. Ron Hubbard. Plaintiff attempts to mislead the Court regarding Mr. Hubbard’s and my role in the religion. Mr. Hubbard was the Founder of the religion and the sole Source of its Scripture. In that capacity, he will never have a ‘successor.’ A primary and fundamental doctrine of our faith is that the teachings be kept pure and that the only source of those teachings is Mr. Hubbard. When plaintiff and his witnesses say I am ‘just like L. Ron Hubbard,’ that is the highest compliment one could receive in the Scientology religion, if their intention were to communicate that I am keeping the religion true to his teachings. Of course, their statements are accompanied by an inaccurate and negative description of Mr. Hubbard’s character and role in the religion. But even if that were not the case, I would still reject their compliment as I simply am not and never will be what Mr. Hubbard was to the religion. By way of analogy, consider an apostate Roman Catholic claiming, in the context of litigation, that the Pope is ‘just like Jesus Christ, and assumed his role after Christ’s death.’ Needless to say, this would be offensive to any Roman Catholic, as a matter of religious belief. The Pope may be the keeper of the Roman Catholic faith, but it would be heresy to say he was, in any manner, Christ himself.
“I do not disregard the corporate lines of authority, responsibility or control of any church of Scientology. Contrary to the allegations of Wollersheim’s declarants, lines of corporate authority in RTC, and its relationship to other churches of Scientology, are firm and I see to it they remain that way. Because of these allegations, the IRS review of RTC and all other churches of Scientology, had as a primary focus of investigation the corporate and financial integrity of those churches. After the most exhaustive review of any non-profit organization in history, the IRS found such allegations to be without basis, not only with respect to Mr. Hubbard’s relationship with the churches of Scientology when he was alive, but with respect to the relationship and integrity of all Scientology churches since that time.
“Most offensive to me are the allegations that I or any church has taken any steps to harass the plaintiff or his witnesses. It is I and others in the Scientology religion who have been, and currently are being harassed in the most despicable manner possible. I am aware that as a member of a
new and minority religion, what I am experiencing is nothing new in history. Indeed, any prominent member of society is subject to attack and scrutiny. As such, I do not respond to every allegation or threat leveled at me. If I did, it is highly likely I would spend my entire life responding to charges such as those in this case.
“One of the most frequent and most inflammatory allegations civil litigants have made is to allege that ‘Fair Game’ is being practiced today on the basis of what the GO did in the 1970’s, dredging up their illicit activities and falsely ascribing them to those responsible for the GO’s eradication. Since 1981, 1 have heard allegations of ‘Fair Game’ at least a thousand times, but I had never heard the term in my life until I encountered it in civil litigation. To this day, I have never heard the term used inside the church. No real Scientologist would ever condone or even consider such conduct. Wollersheim, along with his declarants, has resorted to making such generalized ‘Fair Game’ allegations by falsely ascribing GO-like conduct to the people who are responsible for ridding Scientology of the GO. He has done so not for the purpose of substance, as there is none to such allegations, but rather for the purpose of stigmatizing my religion and me.
“As a final outrage, Wollersheim’s attorneys – Charles O’Reilly and Leta Schlosser – allege that I threatened them in the courthouse elevator. The exact circumstances are these: While waiting by the elevator, I was standing with another Scientologist. Mr. O’Reilly and Ms. Schlosser were accompanied by a very large body guard. When the elevator doors opened, I stood waiting for Ms. Schlosser to enter first, out of common courtesy. O’Reilly’s body guard said loudly, ‘Let the midget go first,’ in reference to my size (56”). 1 ignored his comment and rode down the elevator in silence. This incident was memorable to me given the circumstances of having just heard Mr. O’Reilly speak about my religion in the most offensive manner possible and about what a victim his client was due to church ‘abuse’ and having those claims followed almost at once by the astounding act of rudeness I have just described.
“This case is not merely about Larry Wollersheim attempting to collect a judgment he achieved against CSC. The instant action is brought as part of his anti-Scientology crusade. Wollersheim, acting through FACTNet Inc., his corporation which supports anti-Scientology litigants, has engaged in a pattern of virulent attacks directed at me by exploiting a hate-filled, anti-Scientology Internet news group. I give but just a small sampling of
some of this harassment: The anti-Scientology Internet news group – ‘Alt Religion Scientology’ (ARS), was created with a posting to which my name
was forged as the author. In 1993, I was accused, in a case in which I was not even a party, of having murdered my mother-in-law. The coroner established that the death was not a homicide. The personal impact of such an outrageous lie was immense for both my wife and me. In 1997, as part of his defense of the FACTNet litigation, Wollersheim accused me of having murdered Mr. Hubbard to obtain control of his Estate and the churches of
devout Scientologists. Yet Wollersheim, a well known Scientology hater purports to care about their husband and father’s legacy.
“Wollersheim’s financial backer, Robert Minton, has posted my face on the Internet for use as target practice, has threatened to burn me in effigy in front of church buildings, and, spurred on by Minton, other anti-Scientologists then spoke of ‘forgetting the effigy and just doing it for real.’ Prince has protested in front of our spiritual Mecca, threatening ‘Tell David I’m coming with a dick so big I’m gonna knock his goddamn spine out.’ Wollersheim has repeatedly threatened to have me sent to prison and his attorney announced the formation of a club to have church leaders ‘buggered [sodomized] before breakfast’ every day.”
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“Man-animals, come out of your caves. The Psychlos have deserted the planet. We have won!”
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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.
— ‘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 May 31, 2024.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud.
Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Leah seeking to amend her complaint.
— 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: motion to file new complaint, hearing on May 29.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration, on hold until appeal over new judge heard.
— 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] Check out how excited the kids at Scientology’s London org are about the IAS gala’s return
[TWO years ago] Jury selection begins today in the Danny Masterson trial, and we’re there for you
[THREE years ago] The country’s 6th largest school district is helping a Scientology front group reach kids
[FOUR years ago] Danny Masterson asks to halt civil lawsuit while criminal case is ongoing, as expected
[FIVE years ago] Scientologist on Clearwater downtown board does a classic ‘dead agenting’ of Mark Bunker
[SIX years ago] Dave Richards, 1948-2018, ran the Founding Church of Scientology in DC
[SEVEN years ago] Tara and Nathan — subjects of last night’s ‘Leah Remini’ — respond to Scientology’s smears
[EIGHT years ago] Louis Theroux’s movie comes to Oregon, and Jefferson Hawkins is there to talk Scientology
[NINE years ago] L. Ron Hubbard’s regressive homophobia: Can Scientology’s celebrities handle the truth?
[TEN years ago] Scientology’s ‘International Justice Chief’ surfaces for the Garcia lawsuit
[ELEVEN years ago] HOW SCIENTOLOGY COERCED A CHILD TO HAVE AN ABORTION: THE LAURA DECRESCENZO FILES
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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.
Tammy Synovec has not seen her daughter Julia in 3,049 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,544 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,059 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,609 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,599 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 4,985 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,480 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,784 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,655 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,207 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,548 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,115 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,034 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,202 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,784 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,044 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,080 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,796 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,360 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,675 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,850 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,532 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,870 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,723 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,838 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,200 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,503 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,609 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,007 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,883 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,448 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 3,960 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,215 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,323 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on October 11, 2024 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
