TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Apostate Alex broke the news as we were recording the Group Therapy podcast last night: New photos show Scientology has begun putting up its big tent for the annual IAS gala despite not applying for a permit the local council said it must have. Oh, the drama! [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“Did you ever feel you were not given a correct why? Have you ever felt bad after a cramming action? Have you ever been labelled a who incorrectly?
Have you caused someone to have a problem with a session? Have you ever not-ised an out-rud? Is there anything that you are not saying? Do you feel sad? Have you committed crimes? On your drug rundown are there any unflat engrams? Do you have masses in restimulation? Have you run anything quad when you were a triple PC? Have you been audited past a blow? Do you feel attacked? ARE YOU SOMEBODY ELSE?” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1979
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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’ve been working on a clear cut statement of what are the beliefs of Scientology. It will be under survey. I am working on the Scientologists Hat. Without such a statement it is hard to get word of mouth. We are well into a Messianic period on Earth. Progress has been made on this. I can write, I think, a ‘Book of Fate.’ I have also made an advance in research on the character and handling of mental mass. Some weeks ago I conceived we did not know all there was to know about high and lo TAs and have suddenly made big progress. The answer was unexpectedly simple and includes auditing over out suppressed ruds that one doesn’t suspect are out! We just don’t pay enough attention to it. Big answers are very basic. So I feel cheerful.” — L. Ron Hubbard, August 17, 1971
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“US DOLLAR: The Socialist planning for crashed finance goes along apace. Nixon has just announced the forthcoming devaluation of the dollar. Means it will buy less. We are safe enough at the moment. But this rapid deterioration of the existing US cultural scene pushes us. We have to get Europe viable fast fast fast. That means translations more and faster. That means a beefed up EULO. A special action is needed for AF. UK needs picking up quickly.” — The Commodore, August 17, 1971
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“The goal of Scientology is not to produce sensation. The goal of Scientology auditing is not to produce good feelings. Most Scientology haters say Scientology is a scam because the sensations they got faded away. But that’s just normal. It’s like when you graduate. You feel great, then you feel normal again, that doesn’t mean that your studies were worthless. But that’s the position that many haters seem to hold. The goal of Scientology is to increase knowledge, understanding, to help you regain awareness and increase ability in general. And it works, it does deliver.”
2001: The Santa Barbara News-Press reported that Scientologist and investment manager Reed Slatkin’s assets are to be auctioned as a result of his bankruptcy. “On Wednesday, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robin Riblet in Santa Barbara approved the sale of Mr. Slatkin’s Earthlink stock and other publicly traded securities. A 100,000-share chunk of his Earthlink stock will be sold immediately, and there is a buyer ready to purchase his La Cumbre Country Club membership. Within a few days, Mr. Slatkin’s Hope Ranch home and other properties will be put on the market, said Sue Montgomery, a lawyer working with the court-appointed trustee to liquidate many of his assets. Mr. Slatkin is not objecting to the liquidation of most assets. However, he is petitioning the bankruptcy court to exempt some property from sale. That includes his $4 million Hope Ranch home, a handful of life insurance policies, a 1998 Volvo coupe, $17,000 in clothing, household furnishings, jewelry and art, plus a couple of retirement accounts. A court-appointed trustee is moving to sell many of Mr. Slatkin’s assets and use proceeds to help reimburse creditors. Mr. Slatkin is the subject of a federal investigation for allegedly defrauding investors through his unregistered investment advisory business for 15 years until he declared bankruptcy May 1. He promised investors annual returns of up to 60 percent, but creditors’ lawyers suspect it was a Ponzi scheme in which early investors are paid with money belonging to more recent participants. Among Mr. Slatkin’s assets are three country club memberships. A Santa Barbara resident is ready to buy Mr. Slatkin’s La Cumbre Country Club membership for $140,000. Mr. Slatkin has 10 properties worth more than $7,880,000, records show. These include his Hope Ranch estate at 4480-4484 Via Esperanza; 96 acres of undeveloped land north of Solvang in Ballard Canyon, worth an estimated $1 million; a two-story, 2,200-square-foot house at 890 N. Kellogg Ave. in Goleta worth $500,000; and an 1,800-square-foot house at 3125 Riley Road in Solvang.”
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“Hubbardese was definitely inspired by ‘Newspeak,’ in my opinion. All cults engage in it to some degree.”
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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 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:
— 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 Does’ response to Scientology’s appeal brief submitted July 30. Scientology’s reply due October 20.
— 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] Some recent cases remind us that Scientology tactics are all around us
[TWO years ago] ‘Only the ruthless can own it’: behind the scenes of Scientology’s dirty tricks operations
[THREE years ago] The best TV show on Scientology you never got to see, Episode 2: Derek Bloch
[FOUR years ago] Danny Masterson accusers answer Scientology’s salvo at California appeals court
[FIVE years ago] Brian Statler’s family wins right to police report and Scientology surveillance footage
[SIX years ago] ‘Scientology and the Aftermath’ participants send in their tributes as series is set to end
[SEVEN years ago] The Garcias won’t go down without a fight: Filing appeal of Scientology’s ‘arbitration’ farce
[EIGHT years ago] Celebrity battle lines: Michael Peña’s wife asks Scientologists to ‘Stand with Daniel Masterson’
[NINE years ago] A rare gem from 1968: When the Daily Mail tracked down L. Ron Hubbard in Tunisia
[TEN years ago] Once shy about the Internet, Scientology is now oversharing on social media
[ELEVEN years ago] Scientology Sunday Funnies: The apocalypse is here, and it is ideal
[TWELVE years ago] SCIENTOLOGY SUPER POWER IS COMING: OCTOBER 6!
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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 3,358 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,862 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,368 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,918 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,908 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,294 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,789 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,093 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 3,962 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,516 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,857 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,428 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,344 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,511 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,093 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,352 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,389 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,105 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 3,669 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 1,984 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,159 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,841 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,178 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,032 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,147 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,509 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,918 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,308 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,192 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,757 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,268 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,528 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,632 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 17, 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
