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 We have two very different reports for you today that share one thing in common — Scientology’s Hollywood Celebrity Centre.
Steven Mango spent four years in Scientology, hoping that his involvement with the Celebrity Centre would help his acting career. A year ago, he left Scientology after he’d had enough of the church’s constant requests for money. Most people who leave Scientology keep quiet. Steven had a different idea — he made a two and a half hour movie about it. He’s debuting his film this Sunday at the ACME Theater in Hollywood (go here for tickets). Continue reading Tales from Scientology’s Hollywood Celebrity Centre: A new film, and a new death
 On the first day of 2012, a woman named Debbie Cook who had been a somewhat legendary official in the Church of Scientology rocked the church with a lengthy e-mail that went out to thousands of her fellow church members.
One of the accusations she made in that e-mail (which the church sued her over) was that Scientology’s leader David Miscavige was sitting on more than a billion dollars in cash that had been raised by the International Association of Scientologists — money that was supposed to be used for promoting the church. Specifically, Cook complained that you never saw the kind of high-profile advertising that Scientology had been known for decades earlier. Continue reading Sunday Funnies: For the second year in a row, Scientology will have an ad in the Super Bowl
 Jon Atack is the author of A Piece of Blue Sky, one of the very best books on L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. He has a new edition of the book for sale, and on Saturdays he’s helping us sift through the legends, myths, and contested facts about Scientology that tend to get hashed and rehashed in books, articles, and especially on the Internet.
Once again, Jon takes apart a bedrock concept of L. Ron Hubbard’s cabal. Take it away, Jon… JON: Scientologists will correct you, should you suggest that in Training Routine 0 you stare. ‘No,’ you will be assured, ‘You confront.’ Taxed on the difference between ‘confronting’ and ‘staring’ little of use is forthcoming. The difference, it seems, is too subtle for words. Continue reading Jon Atack on Scientology’s fundamental feature: the thousand-yard stare
 Our video source has come through again, sending us another “quote video” that is meant only to be seen inside a Scientology “org.”
As we learned earlier, many of these videos were created in order to highlight a portion of a particular L. Ron Hubbard lecture as new editions of his lectures were produced and Scientologists were encouraged to buy them. In this case, we’re seeing a portion of “The Factors: Admiration & the Renaissance of Beingness.” (Online price, $250.00) According to Scientology’s own website, this was a series of lectures given in the spring of 1953, and they contain “the knowledge of universal truth unlocking the riddle of creation itself.” Wow! OK, so prepare to be blown away! Continue reading ‘The Factors’: Another video the Church of Scientology would rather you not watch
 Marty and Monique Rathbun It’s another victory for Monique Rathbun in her harassment lawsuit against the Church of Scientology and its leader David Miscavige: Comal County, Texas Judge Dib Waldrip has granted her request for a continuance so she can gather more evidence to refute Scientology’s anti-SLAPP motion. A new hearing on the matter has been set for February 3 and 4, and in the meantime, Waldrip has given Monique a strongly-worded order to help her pry that evidence from Scientology. Continue reading Judge Waldrip grants Monique Rathbun’s discovery request, snubbing Scientology
 Jefferson Hawkins was once the top marketing executive for the Church of Scientology and helped it reach its greatest extent with the famous “volcano” TV ads in the 1980s. He’s told his tale of getting into and out of the church with his excellent books Counterfeit Dreams and Leaving Scientology, and he’s helping us understand the upside-down world of Scientology “ethics.”
We’re really looking forward to this week’s episode in this series, Jeff. The notion of justice in Scientology is another strange one. JEFFERSON: We’re getting towards the end of Introduction to Scientology Ethics now. This week we’ll be going over Chapter 11. It’s called “The Scientology Justice Codes and Their Application.” The bulk of the chapter consists of long, long lists of things that are considered offenses in Scientology. Continue reading High crimes and misdemeanors: Jefferson Hawkins on Scientology’s bizarre criminal code
 Leah Remini talked about Scientology this evening on Access Hollywood, interviewed by her friend Holly Robinson Peete, and managed to say virtually nothing more than she already has.
Holly told Leah that she had been very public and honest about the transition and that she handled it gracefully. What was it like going through that and Dancing with the Stars at the same time? Was it a supportive environment? Yes, you go through transitions in your life and there are lessons you go through, she answered, and you hope you learn from them. Continue reading Leah Remini talks briefly about Scientology on Access Hollywood, says very little
 While we wait for word of legal happenings in Texas, we have a few fun items to tide you over today.
One of our tipsters sent us another issue of the Fort Harrison newsletter, the house organ of Scientology’s mecca in Clearwater, Florida. This is our second issue, and already we’re charmed by the upstat publication. We look forward to your comments on it. We only wish we could watch the BIG GAME at the Hibiscus! Continue reading Cheese from Scientology’s mecca, raspberries from Éire, and a Puerto Rican dessert!
 Bruce Hines After our holiday break, it’s time to get back to moving up the Bridge to Total Freedom! When we left off in December, Claire and Bruce had taken us all the way through Operating Thetan Level Three and L. Ron Hubbard’s epic handwritten tale about the galactic genocidal warlord, Xenu. This week, it’s on to OT 4, but initially we’re going to look at “old” OT 4, which Claire tells us she didn’t experience. BRUCE: like Claire I never did the old version of OT 4, nor did I study it. After the release of Dianetic Clear and NOTs in September, 1978, very few people did this older version of OT 4. And after about 1982, no one did it at all. In fact, these days, of the OT levels, only OT 2 and OT 3 are the same as their original versions. Continue reading Being and nothingness: And now we move on to Scientology’s Operating Thetan Level Four!
 A surprising new story out of France today has huge implications for Scientology in that country. Our man in Paris, Jonny Jacobsen, has the lowdown for us. Take it away, Jonny…
Scientology, already convicted in France of organised fraud, is in trouble with the courts here again. The Paris Court of Appeal is resurrecting a case dating back to 1998 in which a private school allegedly sneaked Scientology material onto its curriculum. Lawyer Olivier Morice, a longstanding opponent of the movement in the French courts who is acting for some of the plaintiffs in this case, broke the news on Monday. Continue reading New criminal case for Scientology in France could shut it down permanently in that country
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We have two very different reports for you today that share one thing in common — Scientology’s Hollywood Celebrity Centre.
