TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Paulette Cooper is the person who is the inspiration for pretty much everything we do at the Underground Bunker, and the subject of our book ‘The Unbreakable Miss Lovely.’ And on the occasion of her birthday, she surprised with some news. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]
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Technology Cocktail
“A writer who had been nearly insane for two years and who had a reactive mind full of engrams against writing, was suddenly confronted with an illness of his wife’s which required two thousand dollars worth of treatments immediately. Promptly, he kicked up his necessity level and turned out one hundred thousand words of short stories and novelettes in twenty days which brought him twenty-five hundred dollars and which were pronounced as some of the best work he had ever done. His wife became well and he resumed his miserable state of inactivity. As neither he nor anyone else knew, at that time, much about the mechanism of necessity level, his eventual recompense was revilement from all quarters because he was now ‘understood’ to be ‘lazy’ and had demonstrated what he could do if he ‘just faced reality.'” — L. Ron Hubbard, 1950
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“We’re trying to make somebody Clear. Clear of what? Clear of his reactive bank. Now, Freud said that man had an unconscious or a reconscious or something of the sort which was subconscious under the underconscious. He thought there was something there and it was inhabited by a beast known as the censor, who kept the fellows from pulling a social faux pas. And when the censor was asleep or nulled or something of the sort by drugs, why, the fellow would do antisocial acts, and that was the whole explanation of the human mind, except it was all caused by sex. I hope you’re following me closely. But anyhow, we are actually indebted to Papa Freud, because he did say out loud that there was some kind of a mind that was kicking back on somebody. He didn’t really discover the reactive mind; we did.” — L. Ron Hubbard, July 26, 1966
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“SMERSH: Smersh just lost half of its suit on us. It was suing us for defamation of its character. The sum of the result will probably be the judge’s question ‘What character?’ Part of the evidence of the next part of the suit was a restricted issue of an Ed they stole out of an org! ‘What character?’ Charles Parselle is doing a great job on Legal in the UK. The Guardian’s Office is going at its usual TERRIFIC! over the world.” — The Commodore, July 26, 1971
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“The Internet is an excellent way to collect up identities and to offer such identities books and services. But going internationally, targeting new people to Scientology is an entirely different game. The Miscavige problem would have to be under control. The Church image, or rather Scientology image internationally speaking, has to be rehabilitated first and Scientology re-positioned in the public’s mind. A lot of PR work would have to be accomplished first on the media, and the church and Miscavige positioned as something entirely different than the original tenets of LRH. In other words, as not Scientology. Then the general public, at least 80 percent of them, would support the Independent Movement as something really representing greater freedom for the individual.”
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2001: The Tampa Tribune reported that David Minkoff, the doctor who was involved in the care Lisa McPherson received at the Fort Harrison hotel until her death, faces disciplinary action by the medical board. “Nearly six years after the death of a Church of Scientology member, a doctor involved in the case faces a one-year license suspension and $10,000 fine. Administrative Judge William F. Quattlebaum ruled in May that although Clearwater physician David Minkoff was not responsible for the death of Lisa McPherson, he illegally prescribed Valium and chloral hydrate to her at the behest of other church members. Minkoff was also a member of the church. The Florida Board of Medicine is scheduled to meet in Tallahassee on Aug. 3 to consider the recommended punishment. Board spokesman Bill Parizek said Tuesday that the board’s final decision is usually similar to a judge’s recommendation. McPherson was alleged to have been confined by the church and denied adequate medical treatment. Criminal charges against the church were dropped last year after the autopsy reports were revised to reflect that the cause of death was ‘accidental.’ Although admitting no guilt, Minkoff reached a $100,000 settlement in 1997 in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by McPherson’s estate.”
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“Jan Eastgate is the Myra Hindley of scientology. She looks just like her.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Sentenced to 30 years to life on Sep 7, 2023. Appeal now fully briefed, oral arguments scheduled for June 25. Masterson has also submitted a habeas corpus petition.
— ‘Lafayette Ronald Hubbard’ (a/k/a Justin Craig), aggravated assault, plus drug charges: Grand jury indictments include charges from an assault while in custody. Pleaded guilty on Nov 10 to a 17-year prison sentence. Now serving time in state prison.
— Aaron Matthes charged for SA of child under 12 years old: OT Scientologist facing multiple mandatory life sentences. Next pretrial court hearing set for June 19.
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, which is now fully briefed. Oral arguments hearing set for July 23.
— Baxter, Baxter, and Paris v. Scientology, alleging labor trafficking: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ 15 days of arbitration completed, Val waiting for further word from the IJC.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson. Judge Upindra Kalra’s ruling denying Scientology’s motion to strike upheld on appeal. Scientology expected to file additional petitions before case can return to Kalra’s court.
— Jane Doe 1 v. Scientology, David Miscavige, and Gavin Potter: Case unsealed and second amended complaint filed. Scientology moves for religious arbitration. Trial has been set for January 10, 2028.
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Other links: The prosecution of Danny Masterson. Leah Remini’s Fair Game Podcast. Leah Remini’s A&E Series. Scientology’s Celebrities, from A to Z. Bryan Seymour’s suppressed series, 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 denied permit after claiming temporary IAS tent is a permanent structure
[TWO years ago] Miss Lovely is still dishing on Scientology: It’s Paulette Cooper’s birthday!
[THREE years ago] Miss Lovely is still unbreakable: It’s Paulette Cooper’s birthday!
[FOUR years ago] Scientology tried to destroy her, but Paulette Cooper is living her best life
[FIVE years ago] Miss Lovely tells us she has a birthday wish this year, and it’s about Mr. Lovely
[SIX years ago] Leah Remini blames Tom Cruise for the spiking of Aussie Scientology investigation
[SEVEN years ago] Happy Birthday, Miss Lovely! And look what Paulette Cooper gave herself for a gift
[EIGHT years ago] Paulette Cooper turns 76: ‘I found my best friend from the orphanage — from 70 years ago’
[NINE years ago] Paulette Cooper at 75: Still unbreakable, and still Miss Lovely
[TEN years ago] Hungarian tabloid’s wacky claim: Shit poured on Scientology’s leader in Budapest protest
[ELEVEN years ago] Happy Birthday, Miss Lovely: A tribute to the dauntless and unbreakable Paulette Cooper
[TWELVE years ago] Scientology surrenders — at least partially — in seven lawsuits against its rehab network
[THIRTEEN years ago] Scientology, Your Proprietor, and the Airwaves
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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 3,701 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 4,205 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 4,711 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 4,261 days.
Klaus Büchele has not seen his daughter Jasmin in 5,637 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 3,132 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 6,438 days.
Marc Headley has not seen his mother Trudy in 5,087 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 4,305 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 5,859 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 5,200 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 13,771 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 9,687 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 5,854 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 5,440 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 5,699 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 4,447 days.
Marie Poulin has not seen her mother June in 4,016 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 2,327 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 3,502 days.
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 5,184 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 5,521 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 10,374 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 5,490 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 3,852 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 4,651 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 4,535 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 4,110 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 4,611 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 4,871 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 15,975 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 26, 2026 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter.
Our book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is 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)
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Tony Ortega at The Daily Beast
