Please believe us when we say that we really, really never wanted to write a single word about the pathetic Internet trolls known as John Alex Wood and Gemma Harris.
Numerous times, we have warned people — practically begged them, actually — not to take the bait and interact with these two on Twitter, where they carry on intentionally misleading “debates” about Scientology, which is clearly their full-time jobs.
The only reason we’re breaking our personal rule to ignore them is to provide a cautionary tale.
The family of Jill, a nurse in Ohio, is reeling after she became the target of Wood’s blog, which included private information about her, her husband, and their family.
For writing some tweets about Scientology in debates with Harris, Wood “doxxed” Jill.
Jill has 14 children, 11 of whom are adopted. “They’re so upset and terrified they’ve shut down all social media,” she says.
She tells us that things started when she saw the episode of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath that featured Nathan Rich and Tara Reile talking about degrading conditions at the Scientologist-run Mace-Kingsley ranches.
“I was mad, sad, and disgusted. I got on Twitter to ask Leah and Mike questions, and they responded. So did Nathan and Tara.”
Then, she came across something Harris said about a Scientology offshoot. As ever, Harris was carrying on a running commentary with numerous Scientology ex-members and critics. Jill says these other critics began to contact her as she joined the fray, and she says it was “a nice diversion from stressors of the day.”
When Harris began quizzing Jill directly — about whether she had read L. Ron Hubbard’s book Dianetics — Jill says she didn’t take it very seriously. “I’d read or at least flipped through Dianetics in my 20s. So I made some sarcastic comments about it. To me, it was playful banter.”
She also got encouragement from some others to ask certain questions of Harris, and she did so, treating it more like a game than anything else.
“I had no damn idea she would dox me and put my physical address on Twitter.”
Wood jumped on Jill’s changing answers about whether she’d read Dianetics or not to prove that Jill was lying. At his website, he posted her sarcastic tweets and used it to spell out the sensitive work that she and her husband do with mentally ill patients.
“I had no idea how horrible those two are,” she says. “I never thought that some sarcastic tweets would be manufactured into a hate blog.
“It’s affected my whole family. And when Gem put my physical address up she put us in harm’s way,” she says, pointing out that they live in a small town where there’s no anonymity.
“I know now that I brought this hellstorm on myself. Being new to Twitter and not knowing what asses they were, it’s all me. And now my family is, excuse my mouth, losing their shit,” she says.
So, we thought it was a good idea to tell our readers about this and say it once again…
Please, please, stop trying to “debate” John Alex Wood and Gemma Harris about Scientology. You are just adding to their weekly “stats,” and completely wasting your own time.
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SMERSH Madness 2018
Today we’re continuing with the second round of our big dance featuring the people we think are working hardest to defend Scientology against its enemies. These are not only Scientologists, but also the people who enable the church as it works against its foes. Which of them do you think deserves the most recognition for Keeping Scientology Working, spreading disconnection, and litigating former Scientologists into the ground?
Today’s match features our #2 seed, actor Tom Cruise. Easily the most recognized Scientologist in the world, he’s been a feather in David Miscavige’s cap since he started in the church back in the year 1986. And today, Cruise and Miscavige really do consider themselves the two most important human beings on Earth, and those of us not following their example are deluded, degraded beings living on a prison planet. Even after the revelations that his best pal is spying on him, manipulating his relationships, and even laughs at his sexual problems behind his back, Cruise seems utterly dedicated to the cause — despite what you might have heard.
Tom is taking on our #18 seed, that beloved figure of Scientology watchers everywhere, former church spokesman Tommy Davis, who bested attorney Gary Soter in the first round. Although Tommy left his Sea Org position in 2011, he testified in a 2013 court case that he’s still a member of the church, and our readers certainly haven’t forgotten him. The good-looking son of actress Anne Archer, Davis came to prominence as Tom Cruise’s go-fer who then became the face of the church for several years as he sat for contentious interviews with the likes of the BBC’s John Sweeney, ABC’s Martin Bashir, and CNN’s John Roberts. More recently, Tommy spent a little more than a year playing at Hollywood studio head when he went to work for Australian billionaire James Packer, but now he’s back to working for billionaire real estate investor Tom Barack, one of Donald Trump’s key money-raisers. It’s been years since Tommy did anything overtly for the church, but he certainly left his mark and continues to remind people of the days when Scientology was more aggressive with the press.
Who deserves to move on as champions of Scientology? Who has done more to perpetuate the church’s reputation in this time of crisis? Cast your votes!
Yesterday’s winner: John Travolta slithered past Karin Pouw!
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Make your plans now!
Head over to our HowdyCon 2018 website to start making your travel plans!
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,062 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 1,665 days
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 208 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,271 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,045 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 2,819 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,165 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 2,659 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 1,699 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,411 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 937 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,026 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,166 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,486 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,461 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 817 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,119 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,225 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 1,628 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,500 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,082 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,587 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 1,831 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 12,940 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on March 23, 2018 at 07:00
E-mail tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes 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 book, 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, 1995-2017 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Undergound Bunker (2012-2017), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
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
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten 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
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
