TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: After she lost her home to the apocalyptic fires in LA, Robyn Migel says she was unhappy to see Scientology’s ‘Volunteer Ministers’ descend on the area for their photo opps. Why? Because she had worked as an editor on Leah Remini’s series and knew what was really going on. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“When you clear a cannibal what do you have? Experientially you have a cannibal. His experiential track is such that he’s been a cannibal for ages. That’s how he’s handled life and people around him, that’s what he knows how to do. This person is unaware of his responsibilities to other dynamics and is unfamiliar with proper behavior and responsible actions towards others. In the case of an SP, he has been busy destroying others for so long that when he’s somewhat cleaned up on this he does not know what else to do or how to act. It’s rather pathetic, actually.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1974
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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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“Putting tickets on the windshield of a car is illegal, according to our own Consititution, which requires personal service. Police get away with it because people don’t want the bother of going down and getting a trial date set. So they send in the amount of an arbitrary fine. This is duress and extortion — so there’s no difference between a criminal and a cop.” — L. Ron Hubbard, January 14, 1954
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“Spectatorism is very great in our modern society. Because some people cannot conceive of causing anything they just watch it. They don’t do anything. They are not PARTICIPANTS. They are spectators. You see this in magazines. Hee hee hee articles about how odd this is or that is. No understanding of it. It’s just odd and one watches it in a detached sort of way. Below this is somebody who doesn’t even notice. Such a person has to come up scale just to be a spectator. An unfinished cycle of action comes about because (a) The importance of it is not grasped (b) The cycle itself is not fully understood. (c) Non compliance and false reports are given as a method of self-protection wherein are hopes it will not be noticed. What we need are more PARTICIPANTS, more team mates. You belong to the SO or you don’t. If you do you’re at cause over the various situations. So we define an SO Member the way you do an OT — At cause over Life, Thought, Matter, Energy, Space, Time and Form. The degree you can be cause in handling the targets and needs of a group determines right away how far you’ve come up the line. Blaming case is effect, isn’t it? Sex is effect, isn’t it? I don’t care what your grade is, you are alive. Your true ability depends on the degree you can exercise the definition of OT over your post in forwarding the purposes of the group. You are actually insulting yourself to insist that I personally make whatever advances are made on vital actions of the group. If what you are trying to do doesn’t happen its a poor comment on your OTism.” — The Commodore, January 14, 1969
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“We have been looking at things globally and realize that many people have lost jobs or had to take out loans etc to deal with economy fluctuations. We also realize that many of you may be experiencing tougher times given the situation and it is important now more than ever to get up the Bridge! So we have considered everyone and would like to offer everyone the opportunity to go up the Bridge, therefore we are running a MASSIVE sale on our auditing packages! Spots are limited as our organization can only take on so many people, so get in contact TODAY!”
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1997: Numerous articles were published this week on the battle between Germany and Scientology. From Reuters: “The Church of Scientology on Saturday accused German Chancellor Helmut Kohl of arrogance for refusing to reply to accusations that Germany was oppressing Scientologists in the same way Hitler persecuted Jews. In a statement on Saturday the Church of Scientology said Kohl’s arrogance was ‘typical of the contempt and indifference shown by high-handed German officials to the Church’s complaints of discrimination over the past five years.’ ‘It is German government representatives who by their actions and statements make the comparisons with the Nazi era stick,’ church president Heber Jentzsch said.” From SAT1-teletext (German TV): “[A] news item on the director Constantin Costa-Gavras, saying that he feels uncomfortable about having signed that Open Letter to Helmut Kohl, which recently appeared in the Herald Tribune. He is being quoted, that he ‘participated without knowing the exact content of the letter’. According to him, he signed the letter, after Dustin Hoffman had asked him to do so.” Jewish leaders have entered the dispute. From Reuters: “German Jewish leader Ignatz Bubis on Monday dismissed as ‘insulting’ accusations from American celebrities that Germany has been oppressing Scientologists in the same way that Hitler persecuted Jews. Speaking at a reception for his 70th birthday, Bubis told several hundred guests including Chancellor Helmut Kohl that such a charge was an affront to the memory of those who had perished and suffered in the Holocaust. ‘It is insulting to the memory of the victims,’ said Bubis, who survived the Holocaust but whose father, brother and sister were killed in Nazi concentration camps.”
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“The tech is the meaningless musings of a drug- and alcohol-addled madman who was making it up as he went along. You might as well have been playing hide-and-go-seek for 17 years.”
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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. Appeal brief due by December 23.
— ‘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 January 13, 2025.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, convicted of fraud, awaiting sentencing.
Civil litigation:
— 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 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.
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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] Mirriam Francis wants Scientology-shielded father brought to justice: how you can help
[TWO years ago] PODCAST: Our never-heard 2021 interview with Ron Miscavige about daughter-in-law Shelly
[THREE years ago] Scientology tries (and fails) to rehabilitate L. Ron Hubbard’s involvement in South Africa
[FOUR years ago] Hanan and Rizza Islam get trial date for $4 million Medi-Cal fraud at Scientology rehab
[FIVE years ago] Scientology ripped apart his family, but this former member explains why he doesn’t fight it
[SIX years ago] EXCLUSIVE: Scientology tells A&E it has ‘blood on its hands’ for murder in Australia
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology plans Narconon drug rehab for Ireland, but the locals are not having it
[EIGHT years ago] The most incredible lie Scientology attorney Monique Yingling told ABC ’20/20′
[NINE years ago] Oscar snubs Alex Gibney’s Scientology documentary ‘Going Clear’ despite buzz
[TEN years ago] Scientology reveals a lot more of its lofty plans for the former KCET studios
[ELEVEN years ago] Being and nothingness: And now we move on to Scientology’s Operating Thetan Level Four!
[TWELVE years ago] ATLANTIC MAGAZINE SPIKES SCIENTOLOGY ADVERTORIAL AFTER BACKLASH
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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 3,144 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,639 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,154 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,704 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,694 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,080 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,575 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,879 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,750 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,302 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,643 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,210 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,129 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,297 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,879 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,139 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,175 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,891 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,455 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,770 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 2,945 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,627 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 4,964 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,818 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,933 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,295 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,704 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,102 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 3,978 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,543 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,054 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,310 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,418 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on January 14, 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, 1995-2023 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
