TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Leah Remini’s attorneys filed a 133-page answer to Scientology’s appeal in Leah’s lawsuit this week, and we have the entire thing for you. If you haven’t been paying attention to the specific attacks Scientology has made against Leah, you’re really in for an education here. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“All aberration is to a greater or lesser degree nonsurvival. To be rid of major aberrations is to have a new life. To understand this one must understand the most severe aberration which is psychosis. The actual basis of all psychosis is motive. It is NOT competence or incompetence. Below all psychotic conduct lies an evil purpose.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1977
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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 had a psychiatrist reading Dianetics, and he was rushing out every few minutes and putting the electrodes on somebody and coming back in. And he says, ‘Yes. Yes. I’ve looked at this book. This book came in the other day. It came in the other day. And I looked at it, and I’ve looked it over. And I’ve reported it to the association. I think it’s disgraceful.’ And he says, ‘I’m a Horney.’ I said, ‘Well what philosophy do you follow in your psychoanalysis?’ He says, ‘I’m a Horney man myself. I’m a Horney man.’ And he rushed out and strapped and shocked somebody else and came back in again. And he says, ‘I’m a Horney man.’ While he was gone, I saw the book Horney, Karen Horney. So I said, ‘Well, what is Horney? What is the Horney offshoot of Freudian analysis?’ and so on. He says, ‘I don’t know. I never read it.’ It’d be different if I was telling you that for a gag. But actually that’s totally factual. Unbelievably true. He was a Horney man, but he’d never read anything by Horney. I don’t know, how do you get it? Telepathic?” — L. Ron Hubbard, June 7, 1961
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“Hey, on this cruise, where are we going? Any suggestions?” — The Commodore, June 7, 1969
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“Hubbard spoke much and said little, except dying forever in the rigid apathy of MEST. What is the future of ALL beings? What cause does each being have in the fate of all other beings? What makes an eternal future acceptable? When does the being attain ‘the future is endlessly beautiful?’ I think people hide behind all this complexity and erudition of auditing because in fact they do NOT know the first answer to any of these questions, and they hope that with enough TIME getting mucked up in complexity and perfection of approach and secrets etc, they will one day realize their way out of an unconfrontable and untenable future.”
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2000: Canoe newspaper service reported that John Travolta dislikes questions about Scientology. “While on a press junket in Barcelona Spain to promote his latest film ‘Battlefield Earth’ which is based on the book by L. Ron Hubbard who founded the church, Travolta had a confrontation with a French journalist. The journalist asked Travolta why the religion wasn’t mentioned in ‘Battlefield’s’ press kit and then asked about funding for the Church of Scientology. Travolta was apparently unhappy with the line of questioning and claimed he was being ‘trapped’ by the interviewer who in turn had his video tapes confiscated for ‘verification’. When the tapes were returned, they were blank.”
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“I have mixed feelings about zoos and especially places like Sea World. To me it’s basically imprisonment and enslavement of other life forms. Unfortunately, by the middle of this century they are probably the only place many of these life forms will exist, so there’s the rub.”
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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 June 13.
— ‘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 June 16.
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, convicted of fraud. Sentenced to 7 years in prison.
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. Trial has been set for January 10, 2028.
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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’s UK headquarters is up for sale! (Well, sort of.)
[TWO years ago] Scientology leak hearing: Who’s falling on their sword today?
[THREE years ago] Scientology will turn your town’s eyesore into a gleaming cathedral when it feels like it
[FOUR years ago] Reporting from Los Angeles: Danny Masterson’s civil and criminal hearings today
[FIVE years ago] The unanticipated pandemic benefit: Nutty Scientology online videos
[SIX years ago] Photo evidence which suggests, sadly, that Riley Keough has slipped back into Scientology
[SEVEN years ago] Testimony by the World’s First Real Clear, part two: ‘Scientology is designed to entrap people’
[EIGHT years ago] Leah Remini’s ‘Troublemaker’ will become a Lifetime movie: Who plays Tom Cruise?
[NINE years ago] NAFC names David Miscavige a witness in Scientology trial scheduled for October
[TEN years ago] When Tom Cruise was one of Scientology’s biggest donors: A look back
[ELEVEN years ago] Ryan Hamilton makes it an even dozen federal lawsuits against Scientology’s 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 3,288 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,783 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,298 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,848 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,838 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,224 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,719 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,023 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,892 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,446 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,787 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,354 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,273 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,441 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,023 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,282 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,319 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,035 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 3,599 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,914 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,089 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,771 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,108 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 9,962 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,077 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,439 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,848 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,244 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,122 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,687 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,198 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,454 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,562 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on June 7, 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
