TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: On Tuesday, Brooke Hogan created a stir with her first interview since the death of her father Hulk Hogan. She said she was so concerned about Hulk marrying Scientologist Sky Daily, she reached out to former top Scientology exec Mike Rinder. And now, we’ve confirmed it. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
——————–
Technology Cocktail
“Sickness is of course the result of engram chains in restimulation. One has to ask, however, what causes restimulation to occur? The answer is out-ruds plus a suppressive environment or situation. Therefore, obviously, if one wanted to really handle handle handle sickness and do some miracles, one would use the lot of one’s weapons.” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1979
——————–
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.
——————–
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
——————–
“You’d be surprised how often you find a wrong date. And you’re running the Helatrobus implants, so you think, and you go right into the next goal for which you’ve listed. And then you try to get ‘absolutably’ and you can’t get a rocket read, and you say, what’s happened? TA’s up and stuck. I’ve got this next goal ‘to be a goof.’ It’s obviously the next goal in line, only it isn’t here. Shucks, man, you’re probably running a Bear implant. It’s probably shot back on the track Lord knows where, because the one thing a GPM won’t do is properly time. You can duration a GPM and you can time a GPM and you can get the date of a GPM almost endlessly. Why? Because its primary basis is lousing up time. Those two opposing items fire against each other — sound like time to the PC — produces a no-change situation. So the GPM floats on the track and so it’s very difficult to time a GPM. So it’s just nothing to get the next GPM in line to run, and find out that it isn’t at forty-three trillion but at fifteen trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion. Embarrassing. Eventually you go back and start looking for wrong dates on the case, and you finally locate that ‘to be a goof’ is not the next Helatrobus GPM but a GPM which exists in the early limbos of nowhere.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 7, 1963
——————–
“COMM EVS: Officers who fail to take full responsibility for their areas, divisions and sections without further orders will hereafter be comm eved for offenses after this date and will be reduced to swamper. Ethics is obviously out on this vessel and some of its officers are obviously more interested in being good fellows than putting a well run ship here.” — The Commodore, August 7, 1969
——————–
“I’m ready to argue that anything as attacked and vilified as Scientology must be a pretty damned effective spiritual technology. As a comparison, look at the ineffective crap that the media and general public ARE willing to rally around – psychiatric medications, for example. I just got out of session, and it was a good and productive session. Somebody totally ARC-broken with Scientology should have their ruds flown, by themselves if they are solo trained, by someone else if they are not. Sitting in a huge ARC break for years and years, or for decades – what kind of nonsense is that?”
——————–
1998: Celebrity Centre International held its 29th anniversary celebration this week. “At a Hollywood gala celebration television and film stars Kirstie Alley, Jenna Elfman, Giovanni Ribisi, Catherine Bell, Anne Archer, Isaac Hayes, Leah Remini, Jennifer Aspen and Danny Masterson, along with community leaders and thousands more, joined together at the 29th Anniversary of the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre to celebrate and acknowledge the hundreds of thousands who have been helped through the civic accomplishments this past year, and the continued growth, of the Scientology religion internationally. Elfman, who is about to start filming her second season of ‘Dharma and Greg,’ expressed how happy she was to hear about all the positive results being achieved by her Church in the community.”
——————–
“My IP was blocked from the Washington Times comments because I kept bringing up the Rev. Moon connection so I started using Tor, then they started using an app that could tell you were using a proxy. Cults SUCK.”
——————–
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 August 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 December 1.
Civil litigation:
— Leah Remini v. Scientology, alleging ‘Fair Game’ harassment and defamation: Some defamation claims were removed by Judge Hammock. Judge Hammock’s ruling is on appeal. Leah’s appeal brief was filed June 3. Respondent briefs are due September 2.
— 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 Does’ response to Scientology’s appeal brief was due July 3, extension granted.
— 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.
——————–
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?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Tabs say John Travolta leaving Scientology, but only by ignoring evidence he isn’t
[TWO years ago] Sinéad O’Connor and Scientology: How she dodged a Thetan-tipped bullet
[THREE years ago] Former Scientology flak Tommy Davis potential witness in foreign-agent trial of Trump pal
[FOUR years ago] Evidence from Danny Masterson’s preliminary hearing aired on KABC Ch 7 in Los Angeles
[FIVE years ago] Clearwater Police release reports from closed Scientology child sex abuse investigation
[SIX years ago] Scientologists behaving badly: What’s prison time to a trillion-year-old thetan?
[SEVEN years ago] Proof that the US government has all it needs to act on Scientology — and it has for 50 years
[EIGHT years ago] ‘Scientology and the Aftermath’: Mike Rinder answers a few of our questions after TCA win
[NINE years ago] Scientology’s sneaky anti-psychiatry front has found a new way to target kids in Florida
[TEN years ago] How Scientology sets up its members to find themselves helpless in court
[ELEVEN years ago] Camilla Andersson on Tom Cruise, and a gift for the Scientologist who has everything!
[TWELVE years ago] Scientology’s US Supreme Court Petition Gets Boost from National Council of Churches
——————–
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 3,348 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,852 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,358 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,908 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,898 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,284 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,779 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,083 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,952 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,506 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,847 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,418 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,334 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,501 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,083 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,342 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,379 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,095 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 3,659 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,974 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,149 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,831 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,168 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,022 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,137 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,499 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,908 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,298 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,182 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,747 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,258 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,518 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,622 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on August 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
