We hope you remember the stunning tale of Sylvia DeWall’s exit from Scientology, a story we’ve told a couple of times. “Declared” — excommunicated — because she dared to watch Leah Remini and Lawrence Wright on television, her expulsion was caught on an audio recording, which we think is one of the most remarkable things ever to come out of the church.
Sylvia and her husband Tim relocated to Colorado and started over. And she later told us about her frustration dealing with a brother who has turned his back on her.
Expelled. Disconnected. But thriving after leaving Scientology, Sylvia and Tim are survivors, and we’re big fans of them.
And now, we have a really odd update for you.
Sylvia sent us a copy of a letter she received from Scientology’s printing division, Bridge Publications.
It contains only a single line: “Do you still go rafting?”
“This came out of the blue. I have no idea how they know I go rafting,” Sylvia tells us, and she said they must be pretty disorganized not to know that she’s been expelled.
But is that it? We’ve puzzled over this letter and we’re still not sure what the hell Scientology is doing here. Is this an attempt at intimidation, like, “We know what you did last summer”?
If it isn’t, how could this possibly be an effective way to recover a lapsed church member? What is this Tom Golan getting at? We’d like to hear your ideas.
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Bonus items from our tipsters
Emily Jones makes the scene at San Diego Comic-Con for Galaxy Press, publishers of L. Ron Hubbard’s mediocre pulp schlock. Did Tom Cruise stop by the booth after making his Top Gun 2 appearance? We wonder.
Narconon Ojai is reopening after fire damage required renovation, and they’re using the occasion to do some ‘safepointing’ with local law enforcement. Narconon Ojai’s actual caption: “With Narconon of Ojai being re-opened, we have been extending our friendships out into the community to help those in our area find a rehab program that helps them in #overcomingaddiction for good! The Chief and Commander of Police came for a tour and we are excited to team up with them to create a better world!”
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, there are signs of construction happening on the upcoming Ideal Org there. A reader snapped this photo for us at the worksite. Note the date of completion, heh:
And in Toronto…
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
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 our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[TWO years ago] Tommy Davis’s Hollywood experiment is apparently over as he moves to Splitsville
[THREE years ago] BILLBOARD UP IN FLORIDA: Scientology ‘disconnection’ on view near Clearwater ‘mecca’
[FOUR years ago] Stacy Murphy is still dead, but Oklahoma gives the Scientology rehab that killed her new life
[FIVE years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology has only its ‘humanitarians’ to help it refurbish eyesores
[SIX years ago] Perez Hilton Has Poor Reading Skills: Here’s a Leah Remini Primer for the Word-Challenged
[SEVEN years ago] Stacy Dawn Murphy, 20: Another Death at Scientology’s Flagship Narconon Drug Treatment Center
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology Loves Making Fun of Itself, Apparently
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,513 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,642 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,146 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,666 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 686 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 577 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,884 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,752 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,526 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,300 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,646 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,212 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,131 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,299 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,880 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,141 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,180 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,892 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,418 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,507 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,647 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,967 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,823 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,942 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,297 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,600 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,706 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,108 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,980 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,563 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,058 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,312 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,421 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on July 20, 2019 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, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), 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, 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
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
