Last week we told you what we were hearing from a source close to Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey, who has been silent about a three-year LAPD rape investigation of That ’70s Show actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson: If Masterson’s victims want justice, they’ll have to hope she’s voted out of office in March and replaced by former San Francisco D.A. George Gascón.
Gascón left his position in San Francisco so he could return to Los Angeles and try to defeat Lacey, who is seeking a third term. Gascón is promising reform as a progressive Democrat, but he’s also criticizing Lacey for doing nothing about several high-profile figures accused of sexual assaults, including Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and yoga instructor Bikram Choudhury.
“Sexual predators are often repeat offenders, and there are six women who have come forward with allegations related to the same man,” Gascón said about Choudhury in a statement at his campaign website. “That paints a very troubling picture. Unlike most other types of cases, California law allows sex crime survivors to testify as witnesses in order to establish a pattern of behavior or propensity to commit a crime. We must support all survivors, but from Harvey Weinstein to Ed Buck, Bill Cosby and now Bikram Choudhury, this DA has met a parade of victims with shrugged shoulders. I don’t know who will win this race, but I encourage the other candidates to join me in pledging to review the cases involving these predators. It does not matter who you are, how much money you have, or if you work in law enforcement, everyone must be held accountable for their actions.”
We pointed out in our story how much that statement seemed to describe the situation with Masterson, who is also facing allegations by six women cooperating with the LAPD investigation. Masterson has maintained his innocence and has called a civil lawsuit filed by four of the victims this summer as “beyond ridiculous.”
Chris Shelton, a frequent contributor here at the Underground Bunker, tagged Gascón in a tweet about our story. Gascón then responded on Twitter, quoting from his earlier statement, but adding a reference to the Masterson case…
Let’s be clear: Gascón knows he can’t say, “elect me and I’ll charge Danny Masterson,” but with a tweet like that, Gascón is walking awfully close to that line.
While we watch that race develop, we also have to wonder, can the Los Angeles Times continue its complete lack of interest in Scientology-related stories and ignore the interesting way this race is sizing up, and with the Masterson case in the balance?
Even we were surprised to see a Nov. 21 article in the Times which seemed to go out of its way not to mention Danny Masterson and his predicament. The article was about the opportunities for cashing in which might lure That ’70s Show reruns from Netflix to another platform. With the show’s sustained popularity, it’s positioned well to cash in on “sky high” prices for popular older comedies.
But some shows are facing the challenge of their stars being tainted by scandal, the Times said. The potential profits for The Cosby Show and Roseanne, for example, have been hurt by controversies facing their stars.
Somehow, the article didn’t point out that the series it was holding up as a massive cash cow, That ’70s Show, was also facing some controversy over one of its former stars.
It’s almost as if, with the Los Angeles Times, if a controversy involves the Church of Scientology, it simply doesn’t exist.
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Joy Villa’s pal is charged with felony stalking
For years now we’ve been trying to warn people about “MAGA” personality Joy Villa, a Patron Meritorious ($250,000) donor and Scientology Clear who achieved overnight celebrityhood for wearing a pro-Trump dress to the 2017 Grammy Awards. We’d actually been keeping an eye on her since at least 2014, when we noticed what a clownish climber she was, trying desperately to get famous for something, anything.
The Grammys dress catapulted her into notoriety, even putting her in White House circles, before some conservative figures began to hold her at arm’s length because of her dedication to the Church of Scientology. At that point, Joy dropped plans for a Congressional bid.
But she hasn’t given up on making a name for herself in conservative politics, and some outlets can’t get enough of her far-right-wing extremism and non-white ethnicity, which she knows makes her a somewhat rare commodity.
Her extreme political positions are clownish, and so she’s gravitated to figures like Omar Navarro, a longshot right-winger who made two hopeless runs against Maxine Waters for her Congressional seat, losing by more than 50 percent each time. He announced that he planned to run again in 2020, but now he’s got a bigger challenge: He was arrested Saturday on three felony counts. He’s accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend, DeAnna Lorraine Tesoriero, who is making her own longshot bid to unseat Nancy Pelosi.
“Clearly, he has a lot of screws loose,” Tesoriero told The Daily Beast.
Sure, but does Omar know that Joy’s on the market again?
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Your proprietor gabs with Jim Paris
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Leaked document of the day
From the FBI documents release comes this item.
Scientology’s protests against a 1985 $39 million court judgment in Portland, Oregon are the stuff of legend. Scientologists not only converged on the Multnomah County courthouse in a “Freedom Crusade” to protest the record jury verdict won by a former member, but the church also apparently held protests about the verdict in other places — including a demonstration at the US Embassy in Melbourne, Australia!
So bewildered were officials there by what was going on, an official request for information about what was happening in Oregon was made to the FBI, and we found that request in the new release of documents. It’s a fun glimpse into government types panicking over Scientology activism.
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“Recently I contacted some very interesting facsimiles of Captain Frank de Wolfe of the United States Army, who was wounded at Fort Donelson in 1862. You may think I am talking about a past death; I am not. I am talking about a sympathy facsimile picked up when I was about a year and a half old, evidently, on the death of my great-grandfather. I almost killed myself. I started running out a lot of emotional curves and life began to look more and more interesting, and then when I went to get up out of the chair I couldn’t get up. I wondered what this was all about so I began to run some more emotional curves, and then I suddenly recalled that my great-grandfather had a black cane with a solid gold dog’s head. It was a great little gimmick, this solid gold dog’s head. The facsimile which I had just finished running out was the facsimile of the death of my dog when I was 14, which tied in to the cane with the dog’s head, which was the death of my great-grandfather that occurred while I was still sick with pneumonia when about a year and a half old. Evidently my legs from the waist down had been out of valence most of my life.” — L. Ron Hubbard, December 10, 1951
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“There was another time when I perceived a reptile and it was this disgusting staff member, he was 1.1, and I think I was just looking at him and I got this reptile idea in my head, and I got the idea he was one. He gave me a bad look once after I mentioned I had just seen a UFO, which was the first one I’d ever seen and it was cool and I was excited and he shot me this evil little nasty look. He was totally in a fake PR valence all the time, and guess what, gosh this keeps getting better, he was related to Mike Rinder! Yes that family has bad DNA, maybe this special telepathic connection DNA. Mike Rinder was running around assisting Miscavige with the takeover of Scientology and now he trashes all of Scientology, his life so far as been assisting the enslavers, he is not good for humanity.”
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“Miscavige is a crime boss. If you’re a crime boss or a loan shark you can’t let somebody disrespect you or not pay back a loan, you have to make an example out of them to keep the rest of the underlings in line. This is more important than public perception.”
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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
[ONE year ago] Scientology school sinks to new low, but the federal dollars keep pouring in
[TWO years ago] A close up look at how human rights abuser Scientology is touting human rights as a front
[THREE years ago] The way to break free from Scientology’s mind trap: Admit to yourself that you’re gullible
[FOUR years ago] DOX: Woman sues Pasadena company for forcing Scientology on her
[FIVE years ago] Marc Headley responds to sliming Scientology gave him at the ‘International Business Times’
[SIX years ago] The big reveal: What you actually learn on Scientology’s Operating Thetan Level Three
[SEVEN years ago] DOX: Autopsy Report of Scientology President’s Son, Alexander Jentzsch
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology Subluxation: Commenters of the Week!
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,654 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,783 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,287 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,807 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 827 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 718 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,025 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,893 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,667 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,441 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,787 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,353 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,272 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,440 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,021 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,282 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,320 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,033 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,559 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,085 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,648 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,788 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,108 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,964 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,083 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,438 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,741 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,847 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,249 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,121 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,704 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,199 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,453 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,562 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on December 10, 2019 at 07:00
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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, 14 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
