TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: We showed you the full appeal brief submitted by Scientology in Leah Remini’s lawsuit. But RTC, the entity run by David Miscavige, submitted its own brief as well, and we have that for you today. RTC is still angry that Mike Rinder and Claire Headley blew the whistle on Dave. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“The mission of engram running is to free the charge which has accumulated in a being and so restore that being to appreciated life. All eases, sooner or later, have to be run on engrams, no matter what else has to be done. For it is in engrams that the bulk of the charge on the time track lies. And it is therefore those parts of the time track called engrams which overwhelm the thetan. These contain pain and unconsciousness and are therefore the record of moments when a thetan was most at effect and least at cause. In these moments then the thetan is least able to confront or to be causative.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1978
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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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“I might as well tell you why the foundation at 211 West Douglas just went out of the processing business entirely and is teaching as few students as possible and at this late date is going into research. I’m not quite sure what they’re going to research, but they’re just going into research and so I, this leaves as official entities in the field the HDAs in the field, the affiliates, that is to say the college associates, a professional school in Wichita, and whatever unit is here as far as the lineups are concerned, and of course this foundation. OK? This by the way is a big load off my mind because I’ve been wondering which way those people were going to jump, and sometimes suicides jump the wrong way. And all they seem to have gotten me for so far is to tell the income tax people that I’m vastly out of order on my income tax, so the income tax people are coming down. Do we have anybody around town who’s awfully good on income tax? Well, they wouldn’t let me look at any of the ’51 books, so I don’t know what income they’ve got written down. And they wiped out all my income just before income tax time, so I don’t know, I mean, I wrote the collector of internal revenue about a year ago and I said, ‘God, I’m confused.’ And he never replied, so I guess he is too….What do you know? Well we’ve got to make a couple of theta clears quick and wreck these income tax people right quick.” — L. Ron Hubbard, March 11, 1952
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“MATA HARI: LISA O’KRACKEL, ‘the Mata Hari of our times,’ came aboard as the wife of Bill O’Krackel, made trouble, blew, was seen ashore hanging around for a week in Corfu, got $1,600 from her mother and left the area. Turns out she was married before to a Greek in Greece, was not divorced before she ‘married’ Bill. In the meantime she worked as a ‘pros’ in Las Vegas. She has six aliases (different names) and possibly 3 passports, one in her maiden name, one as the Greek’s wife and one as Bill’s ‘wife.’ We guess that Bill found out about her former marriage and no divorce and possibly that’s why she blew. We don’t know that she was here for info but for sure some wild left wing characters in the press are trying to talk about a disappeared ‘girl’ and had the crust to ask the Deputy Prime Minister of Greece about the ‘disappeared girl’ and ‘that ship in Corfu.’ The DPM said our ship was OK and he’d ‘look into the girl matter.’ Well, we’re also looking into it. We mean her no harm. But her blow is causing Dev T. Looks like another ‘Linda Smith’ plant.” — The Commodore, March 11, 1969
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“A psychological operation perpetrated by unfriendly Gray ETs has been Disclosed. In it the Gray ETs choose people for abduction and mind control. After they have been programmed, the abductees and contactees are introduced into society in positions of influence. The ‘Chosen One’ individuals are mainly connected to military or government positions and families. This Psyop has apparently not been identified in Scientology auditing. One reason for that is because there are specific publications by LRH that forbid the inclusion of PCs with connections to governments, intelligence agencies and the military.”
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1997: Boulder Weekly published an article about Stephen Keller, a father who was forced to turn over his daughter to the Scientology mission by police. “Cuffed and sitting in the front seat of a police car, but not under arrest, Keller explained to the cops his fears about the Church of Scientology and his belief that he would never see his daughter again. Amanda is the 15-year-old pawn in a brewing custody battle between Keller and his ex-wife Suzanne, a high-ranking Scientologist. Keller says he has already lost his son Ben to the church. And he says the thought of losing his only daughter is too much to bear. Currently Suzanne Keller, who lives in a Scientology compound in Clearwater, Fla., has custody. A court hearing in Boulder County District Court in early April will determine sole custody. Officers contend that Keller violated a custody order by keeping his daughter in Colorado two days later than the court order mandated, and that they were only doing their job. And, they say, Suzanne Keller gave her permission to the sheriff’s department to turn her daughter over to Boulder Dianetics Foundation executive secretary Susan Anderson – the same woman Keller had run off his property earlier that day. Before being turned over to Anderson, Amanda and Steve Keller had spent three weeks together trying to dance around a Church of Scientology plan to marry Amanda off to a 23-year-old Chilean man to thwart her father’s bid for custody. It was not, Keller says, a merry Christmas. Boulder attorney Michael Morphew, who is representing Keller in the custody action, says he has seen the effects of Scientology on teenagers. ‘The types of developmental issues (teens) face and how they learn to go about becoming an adult. And the challenges and the things you need to be faced with as a teenager isn’t going to happen in a Scientology commune.'”
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“You people’s humanity is rubbing off on me and it’s making me unstable.”
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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. DA’s response to appeal brief due April 15.
— ‘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 March 31.
— 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] They’ve done it again! Billboard goes up adjacent to Scientology HQ in Los Angeles
[TWO years ago] PODCAST: HBO ‘Q Into the Storm’ star Fredrick Brennan on Scientology and QAnon
[THREE years ago] Confused by Scientology’s latest moves? L. Ron Hubbard can explain everything
[FOUR years ago] New Scientology magazine boasts that David Miscavige is now a Florida fixture
[FIVE years ago] What it’s like to discover your employer is pushing Scientology on his office
[SIX years ago] New government docs show Scientology trying to snow the Justice Dept after Snow White
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology TV goes live tomorrow at 8 pm Eastern on app, DirecTV
[EIGHT years ago] Source: Scientology made Danny Masterson’s Victim B search past lives to explain being raped
[NINE years ago] Belgian judge throws entire case against Scientology out of court on technicality
[TEN years ago] The ‘Going Clear’ screening in Austin, featuring Marty Rathbun and other familiar faces
[ELEVEN years ago] Judge in Laura DeCrescenzo’s case retires, Scientology objects to his replacement
[TWELVE years ago] LEAKED: Scripts Spell Out How Scientology Directs the Unsuspecting to Its Rehab Network
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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 3,200 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,695 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,210 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,760 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,750 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,136 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,631 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 5,935 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,806 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,358 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,699 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,266 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,185 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,353 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 4,935 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,194 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,231 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 3,947 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,511 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,826 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,001 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,683 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,020 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,874 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 4,989 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,351 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,760 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,158 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,034 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,599 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,110 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,366 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,474 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on March 11, 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
