Scientology rewards the celeb who bolted when her co-star went rogue

 
Our thanks to Nottrue for sending us the latest Celebrity magazine, which features Scientologist soap opera actress Michelle Stafford on the cover.

Now, before you scoff we just want to say that we have a lot of respect for soap actors. They might have to slog through some dubious scripts, but these are folks who labor day in and day out, and we really admire their work ethic. In fact, one of our favorite Scientology defectors is a former staple of the soaps, actor Michael Fairman, who was a star here at the Bunker in its early days.

Fairman was a regular at The Young and the Restless for many years, but after he ditched Scientology and went public with it in 2011, it caused one of his Y&R co-stars, who was still a Scientologist, to quit the show and move to General Hospital.

That was Michelle Stafford.

So, loyal soldier that she is, it doesn’t surprise us that she’s getting the Celebrity cover treatment. And ever since Laura Prepon’s loopy interview went viral (sample line: “When you really cognate that you are a thetan and you have a mind and body, and that the MEST universe does not control you – it puts things into perspective”), we love to scan these profiles for Scientology lunacy.

Alas, Stafford’s interview is about as bland as one could possibly imagine.

Besides the expected fawning over her Y&R and General Hospital spans, it also notes her attempts at a YouTube series and a skin care line.

The closest she comes to Prepon-like nuttiness is her praise for the Survival Rundown late in the profile: “You go in one way, then during a session, you have this realization that you have been living someone else’s viewpoint or opinion. The Survival Rundown is so simple, but then the most powerful things in life are that way.”

That sounds harmless enough, as long as you aren’t aware that the Survival Rundown is largely made up of insane exercises that involve walking around touching things and following commands for hundreds of hours which is designed to leave you physically exhausted and completely mindfucked.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we found just one other item that interested us. We were reminded that Martin Kove is a Scientologist. If you remember the totally convincing job he did playing the baddie Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese in the Karate Kid series, you know what a talented actor he is. He too is extolling the Survival Rundown, and maybe he needs to get his ass kicked by Miyagi. (Pat Morita, we miss you.)

 
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Bonus items from our tipsters

Our man in Italy, Richard, sent us this translation of a really wonderful “OT Phenomenon” in the Italy edition of Advance magazine…

I have had many wins and OT phenomena over the years, some very impressive, but this latest one is in a category of its own. The place where I live, for a couple of days had been under siege from a hurricane, and one morning we completely lost the electricity at home and in the office, just like the 20,000 surrounding properties. The situation continued throughout the day and, since the electricity had not been restored by evening, my wife and I decided to go to bed and wait for it to return, even if it was only half past five in the afternoon, seeing that it was pitch dark. While we were lying down, I thought of everything I had not been able to do regarding my business that day, such as connecting on-line or making calls with the landline. Then it hit me the way this was affecting my neighbours and all of the other people in those 20,000 houses that could not cook or heat their homes. I decided to do something and take responsibility for my area. I began to stare at the ceiling and almost immediately, a large, luminous yellow light turned on, and then a small blue light, smaller, began to turn on and off and become yellow again, and this continued for a minute or two. I told my wife: “Hey, look at that light “, but she told me that she couldn’t see anything and it was then that I realized, as an OT, I was looking at the electricity that was trying to connect to our light bulb without succeeding. I understood that what had happened was because this thing had no stable data in present time and was confused. I started to give it a stable data on what to do and, within 30 seconds, the electricity returned not only to our home, but to all the surrounding properties. It was an amazing experience, but it did not surprise me since theta is always superior to mest, and when you assume responsibility for your own own dynamics, you can do anything. – G.B.

 
Richard tells us that the issue also included this photo of recent OT graduates…

 
Recognize the redhead? It’s none other than English mystery writer RJ Ellory, who has apparently completed OT 5.

Remember Ellory? He showed up in photos of a 2011 fundraiser for the future Birmingham Ideal Org (see below). And besides taking part in dance parties to raise money for Scientology, he was also known for faking his own book reviews online, and for helping in the effort to attack Leah Remini’s television show.

 
Just a few more levels, RJ, and you’ll be the master of matter, energy, space, and time!

 
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Underground Bunker TV

The programming just keeps coming at Underground Bunker TV. After posting short videos about ABCMouse, Bob Duggan, Scientology attorney Gary Soter, David Miscavige’s position in the church, and what Scientology says about Jesus and Christianity, today we have another short spot that brings up something we’ve covered here before. We hope these vids will draw people back here to the Bunker to seek more information. So please help us get them out into the world!

 
Bonus update: Cathy Schenkelberg tells us, “You know my show goes into great detail acted out theatrically in the subject of masturbation. It cost me thousands and I could not get to my OT levels without coughing it up. And yes I too was audited by a 15 year old!”

 
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Scientology’s celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs’ — now with comments!

We’ve started a new project, building landing pages about two of David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, his celebrities and his ‘Ideal Orgs.’ For the next several weeks, we’ll post a couple of pages each day, and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about each of them, in order to build a record and maintain a watch as Scientology continues its inexorable decline — and yes, we finally have comments working on these new pages! Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments about all of your favorite celebrites and failing Ideal Orgs

Previously, we posted pages for celebrities Anne Archer, Beck Hansen, Catherine Bell, Chick Corea, Elisabeth Moss, Erika Christensen, Ethan Suplee, Giovanni Ribisi, Greta Van Susteren, Jenna Elfman, John Travolta, Juliette Lewis, and Kelly Preston. And for the Ideal Orgs of Portland, Oregon; Sydney, Australia; San Diego, California; Denver, Colorado; Nashville, Tennessee; Perth, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; Sacramento, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Silicon Valley, California; Rome, Italy; Orlando, Florida and Moscow, Russia.

Today it’s Kirstie Alley and Amsterdam, Netherlands!

 
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MEANWHILE, AT FACEBOOK…

 
Please join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on September 25, 2018 at 07:00

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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