TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: The Wall Street Journal investigation of startup Dream Exchange was a hard-hitting look at a business that wants to become a stock exchange catering to Black-owned businesses. Now, a former executive has posted more damning allegations about Scientology at the startup. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“Bright, new, and in your bookstore is a big impressive hard cover book WHAT IS SCIENTOLOGY? released at Christmas! It contains all kinds of data, really a huge handbook, just the thing to use to inform and overawe your friends. 347 information-packed pages plus over a hundred big full color illustrations contain the answers to just about every question ever asked about Scientology. Although staff wrote it, I had to keep it rounded up and to the printer and many a day was spent in tropic heat getting its photographs shot. There is data in it that hardly any Scientologist knows. It’s a reference and reading total must for every Scientologist’s library. And, incidentally, it’s about half the price. despite its quality, of regular bookstore books of the same size—a triumph in itself in these inflationary times!” — 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 went to a Picasso show one day with a fellow from Greenwich Village. He was wearing a turtleneck sweater and I was wearing a business suit, and everybody who was coming to the Picasso show was dressed in tails and ermine wraps and evening gowns. This was really swell, it was really upstage…I was interested in the neurosis from which Picasso was probably suffering, but more importantly, in why he was doing it. I was coming to the conclusion that it was just a big experiment, as far as he was concerned, whereby he was testing color and design lines. We were going hot and heavy. This artist would say, ‘Oh, but no! There is so much soul! There’s this! There’s that.’ And I would say, ‘No, it just merely looks to me like he’s got a libido complex or something.’ We got up to the second floor, and he and I had such a falling out about one of the paintings that we reached a static, and we were silent for a moment. We happened to look around and we had about fifty people following us along the line of pictures and listening to us. Some of them were trying hard to look very edified. So I got very interested in the people who were watching the Picasso show and took a series of notes. I wrote an article for the New Yorker on it.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 12, 1951
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“THE GLASS: Lowest barometer we’ve ever seen. Got down to 29.27. But it began to rise yesterday even steadily and did not pump (go up and down) which is good as that means HURRICANE and you don’t want to be in a port in the path of one of those. You want to be at sea following Buys Ballot’s law (see Bowditch or other texts), steering away from the center. So we apparently sail on schedule.” — The Commodore, October 12, 1970
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“Back in the day, we used to refer to certain things as ‘tracky.’ I don’t know if anyone does that any more. But the most ‘tracky’ movie I’ve ever seen is The Matrix. The film’s story arc and dialog are so accurate it’s almost frightening. This universe is a world which had been pulled over our eyes to blind us to the real truth. As you move up the Bridge, the layers fall away until, toward the end, the real truth becomes visible.”
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2001: The St. Petersburg Times reported that a community group is asking that a street be renamed in honor of former Clearwater mayor Gabe Cazares. “‘We’ve had this in mind for some time, and we feel it’s time,’ said Edward Quinones, the chairman of Uno Federation Community Services, a non-profit group based in Clearwater. ‘We think it’s fairly obvious in this area, with such a large Hispanic population, that this would be appropriate.’ Uno’s board suggested that former Clearwater Mayor and County Commissioner Gabe Cazares, a Mexican-American, would be a good person to name a road after. Uno’s board also proposed that a major road such as Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard be considered. Generally, the city does not name things after people who are still living, Horne said. Cazares is very much alive at 81. Another problem is that the city avoids changing names of major roads that are controlled by the state or county, Horne said. Cazares said he was flattered that anyone would want to name a road after him. Cazares was mayor of Clearwater from 1975 to 1980 and later served one term on the County Commission. But he predicted that naming a street for him would draw opposition from the Church of Scientology, who aggressively targeted Cazares with a nasty smear campaign in the 1970s to silence his criticism of the church. ‘I would count on them opposing it 100 percent,’ Cazares said. ‘I haven’t counted on any memorialization yet,’ Cazares said. ‘I’m still a young man of 81 years of age. Normally, you shouldn’t name a street or building or anything after a living person. But I do appreciate the thoughts of those who are recommending it.’ Cazares said he wouldn’t mind if people considered memorializing him in a few years.”
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“I had really bad nightmares when I was young — one was a nightly reoccurring one that lasted almost a year and almost drove me insane. Something about HR Pufnstuf reminds me of those dreams. My dream would start soon as I laid down because in the dream I was still awake lying in my bed. All of the sudden reptilian hands would shoot up from underneath the end of the bed and grab my legs and pull me underneath the bed dragging me at breakneck speed down a hellish tunnel where creatures were living in the walls to meet my arch nemesis King Frog and his henchman Baby Huey. They would torture me for hours laughing and mocking me.”
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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:
— 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 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] EMAILS: Scientology’s sneaky (and failed) attempt at road closures to squelch protest
[TWO years ago] Scientology wants large portion of Bixler suit stricken — even before new version arrives
[THREE years ago] The Scientology spy in the hallway: The Danny Masterson trial gets underway
[FOUR years ago] He was a student and teacher at Scientology’s elite boarding schools: Now he’s dishing
[FIVE years ago] Bijou Phillips on her husband Danny Masterson: A macho ‘Strong Island’ guy
[SIX years ago] Scientology wants your children: The 1957 lecture they think will convince you
[SEVEN years ago] Dave’s shrinkage: Help us determine turnout for Scientology’s IAS 2018 gala
[EIGHT years ago] ‘Miss Lovely’ as you’ve never seen her — new photos of Paulette Cooper, war survivor
[NINE years ago] DRONE FLYOVER FINALE: Getting a close look at Scientology’s secret New Mexico compound
[TEN years ago] That time Scientology’s Sea Org grunts donned cut-offs and bikinis to fake out L. Ron Hubbard
[ELEVEN years ago] Scientology Sunday Funnies: In valleys near and far, it’s time to stand and deliver!
[TWELVE years ago] TOMKAT PROJECT IN LOS ANGELES: Here’s Your Chance to Help the Show Get to Tinseltown
[THIRTEEN years ago] Scientology Metaphysics: How Do Thetans Work?
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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 3,414 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 3,918 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,424 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 3,974 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 2,964 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,350 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 2,845 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,149 days.
Marc Headley has not seen his mother Trudy in 4,800 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 4,018 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,572 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 4,913 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,484 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,400 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,567 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,149 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,408 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 4,445 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,161 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 3,725 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 2,040 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,215 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 4,897 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,234 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,087 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,203 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,565 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 3,976 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,364 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,248 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 3,813 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,324 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,584 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,688 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on October 12, 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, 1995-2024 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2024), 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
