Mexico officially recognizes Scientology as a religion, Miscavige claims at New Year’s event

Last night, the Church of Scientology held its annual New Year’s event at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles so that video of the proceedings can be shown in Scientology churches around the world on December 31.

Continue reading Mexico officially recognizes Scientology as a religion, Miscavige claims at New Year’s event

L. Ron Hubbard’s son was troubled, but don’t discount him entirely: few knew his father better

[Ron DeWolf at the 1982 Clearwater hearings]

Earlier this week, we wrote about a 15-page 1985 letter written by Ron DeWolf to the IRS that was released by the FBI and became public for the first time. DeWolf was the name adopted by L. Ron Hubbard Jr., who was known as “Nibs” to the Hubbard family. We asked Jon Atack for his thoughts on Nibs and the new letter, and he sent us this piece.

Continue reading L. Ron Hubbard’s son was troubled, but don’t discount him entirely: few knew his father better

Louis Theroux’s showdown with Scientology over a public road: The nutty new chapter

One of the best things about Louis Theroux’s funny 2015 film, My Scientology Movie, was how unflappably polite he was while he argued with Sea Org official Catherine Fraser over a frontage road at Scientology’s secretive “Int Base” and whether it was a public street or not.

Continue reading Louis Theroux’s showdown with Scientology over a public road: The nutty new chapter

He was Scientology’s most famous spy, then he turned witness and vanished. Now, here he is.

[L. Ron Hubbard and his wife Mary Sue — undone by Snow White]

In 2014, while we were working on our book about Paulette Cooper, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, we got a fascinating break.

Continue reading He was Scientology’s most famous spy, then he turned witness and vanished. Now, here he is.

Defeated in court, L. Ron Hubbard’s son boasted about spreading lies in new FBI document

[Ron DeWolf and his grandson, Jamie]

Journalist Emma Best, at the Muckrock website, has convinced the FBI to cough up even more documents about the Church of Scientology, and in the latest batch there’s a pretty interesting 15-page letter written by Ron DeWolf to the IRS in 1985.

Continue reading Defeated in court, L. Ron Hubbard’s son boasted about spreading lies in new FBI document

For the first time: The FBI file of Gabe Cazares, the Clearwater mayor targeted by Scientology

[Gabe Cazares in 1997]

On August 3, 1976, Gabe Cazares, the Texas-born mayor of Clearwater, Florida, contacted the FBI with a complaint about a letter that had been mailed to several Florida Democratic Party officials.

Continue reading For the first time: The FBI file of Gabe Cazares, the Clearwater mayor targeted by Scientology

DOX: An inside look at how Scientology gets what it wants at ‘Ideal Org’ events

[David Miscavige in San Diego]

On November 19, 2016, Scientology held the grand opening for its San Diego “Ideal Org” after years of missteps and miscalculations on where to build its new gleaming cathedral there.

Continue reading DOX: An inside look at how Scientology gets what it wants at ‘Ideal Org’ events

A close up look at how human rights abuser Scientology is touting human rights as a front

Rod Keller gives us a detailed look at how one Scientology front is having its sneaky ways exposed by a determined activist.

Continue reading A close up look at how human rights abuser Scientology is touting human rights as a front

DID BOB BLOW? Evidence that Scientology may have lost its biggest donor of all time

[Bob Duggan, illustration by Chad Essley]

In case you didn’t notice it, we were actually pretty gobsmacked by a photo that we showed you last week. That photo provided the first hard evidence of something we’d been hearing for quite some time — that the richest Scientologists in the world, Bob and Trish Duggan, were splitting up.

Continue reading DID BOB BLOW? Evidence that Scientology may have lost its biggest donor of all time

A grim anniversary that should remind us Scientology has no business ‘testing’ anyone

[Vitkovic, mid-massacre]

On December 8, 1987 — 30 years ago today — a 22-year-old man named Frank Vitkovic went looking for a former friend he wanted to kill.

Continue reading A grim anniversary that should remind us Scientology has no business ‘testing’ anyone

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