TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Black Friday is here, and you probably have a long list of gifts to work on. But we’re also reflecting on Scientology’s workers, who slave away for pennies. A new call for cash inside the church has us thinking about their plight. ALSO: A holiday message from Mike Rinder! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“Egocentric man believes all wisdom is wound up in knowing his misdemeanors. IF any wise man represents himself as wise and fails to discover what a person has done, that person goes into an antagonism or other misemotion toward the wise man. So they hang those who restimulate and yet who do not find out about their withholds. This is an incredible piece of craziness. But it is observably true.” — 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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“Every thetan is, unless he’s knocked flat out — you know, unless he’s been eating some of the recent food preservatives — this fellow is operating to some degree, even if he’s just an effect. You see, he’s, he still can put out an impulse. See, he’s mostly effect, but he can put out a little bit of an impulse, see? Well, actually that would be an interiorized thetan who was very wog. And the word ‘wog,’ of course, is in essence a ‘worthy oriental gentleman’ as been defined by the Royal Air Force. There’s nothing derogatory in being called a wog. As a matter of fact, that was the source of a general order issued in Egypt on the complaint of the Egyptian government. The air force officers were calling Egyptians wogs. So the commanding officer defined it. And he said, well, wog, that means ‘worthy oriental gentleman,’ and insisted his officers use it. Those were in the days when the Empire wasn’t dead! Anyway, this means a common, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, garden-variety humanoid. And a garden-variety humanoid means a person who has human characteristics. By which we define not that he is human in his treatment of things, he isn’t. It’s simply that he is a body, he is a body.” — L. Ron Hubbard, November 29, 1966
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“DARBY: The DARBY started at midnight last night. See ED 11 Flag for the thrilling details of this race. You too can be a winner.” — The Commodore, November 29, 1971
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“Don’t forget that an infant or toddler has just recently been through the potentially traumatic experience of dying, depending particularly on how s/he died, and need time to sort this out and get some distance from it. Studies of children who recall a past life seem to generally find young children who are old enough to have developed some verbal skills and some distance from that experience. I think LRH mentioned this, too. Thus they need kindness and safety, not evaluation and invalidation.”
1999: LA Weekly published an article this week on a campaign to have newspapers and magazines carry quotations from L. Ron Hubbard. “‘Affection could no more spoil a child than the sun could be put out by a bucket of gasoline.’ Don’t go looking for this maxim in your Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations – but you just might find it in your local newspaper, courtesy of Scientology. The IRS-designated religion has been mailing out this and other pearls from the lips of founder L. Ron Hubbard to newspaper ‘Quote of the Week’ sections. The Hubbardisms address Morals (‘The
criminal accuses others of things which he himself is doing’), Problems (‘Any problem, to be a problem, must contain a lie’) and, in a masterpiece
of mixed metaphor, Marriage (‘Communication is the root of marital success from which a strong union can grow, and noncommunication is the rock on
which the ship will bash out her keel’). They run above the tagline ‘L. Ron Hubbard, one of the most acclaimed and widely read authors of all time.’ (Hubbard was a science-fiction writer.) Hubbard public-relations director Kaye Conley says the quotes have appeared in 80 publications, including the Orchard News (Nebraska), Clayton Today (Oklahoma), and the Stratford Star, Iraan News, and Talihina American (all of Texas). ‘I’m not saying they’re big, huge papers,’ Conley says. ‘They don’t have to be to be popular.’ Iraan News editor Clara Greer says her paper (circulation 900) printed ‘everything that I got’ during the two-month-old Scientology P.R. campaign. ‘One of our customers didn’t appreciate reading them. The Hubbard P.R. machine has been busy. An article on the P.R. News Wire this month spoke of some ‘interesting new insights’ into the subject of memory found in the Hubbard bestseller Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. ‘Never has our society been hit with so much devastation. We’re trying to do something about it,’ Conley says. ‘We just use the quotes as filler to fill our little holes,’ shrugs newspaper editor Driver.”
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“Scientology is a racist philosophy. It’s anti homo sapiens.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— ‘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 November 15.
— 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] Scientology leader David Miscavige’s IAS speech in its entirety — the transcript
[TWO years ago] Scientology down 23 PERCENT from 2011 to 2021 in England census data released today
[THREE years ago] Scientology’s academic champion: An eager copyright attorney who shills with alacrity
[FOUR years ago] Another social media harvest that reveals Scientology’s planetary takeover
[FIVE years ago] Scientology moves to dismiss the ‘Jane Doe’ lawsuit in Miami, and we have the docs
[SIX years ago] While Leah Remini asks for government action, the government covers for Scientology overseas
[SEVEN years ago] DOX: Sworn testimony that a U.S. state was too afraid to take on the Church of Scientology
[EIGHT years ago] As you watch Leah Remini’s show tonight, keep these people disappeared by Scientology in mind
[NINE years ago] Jonny Jacobsen: Why the Moscow ban on Scientology may be built on shaky foundations
[TEN years ago] Jon Atack excavates the Scientology mind for L. Ron Hubbard’s most harmful implants
[ELEVEN years ago] Tonight: Scientology Gets Its IAS Gala On — Let’s Get Dauntless, Defiant, and Resolute!
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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 3,098 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,593 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,108 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,658 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,648 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,034 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,529 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,833 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,704 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,256 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,597 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,164 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,083 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,251 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,833 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,093 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,129 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,845 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,409 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,724 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,899 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,581 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,918 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,772 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,887 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,249 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 7,552 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,658 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,056 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,932 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,497 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,008 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,264 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,372 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on November 29, 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
