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 Recently, we got a tip from one of our better sources that Leah Remini had left Scientology in an angry fit.
We didn’t have any more details, but we knew that the King of Queens actress was in a family of Scientologists, including her husband Angelo Pagán, who is a Los Angeles restaurateur. We put in a call to Pagán, and he was kind enough to call us back. No, he told us, what we’d heard was incorrect. Neither he or his wife were angry with the church, and even if they were, he said, that would be something they would work out with the church itself. We appreciated his candor, and wished him well. But since that call several weeks ago, we’ve seen more and more circumstantial evidence that tells us Remini has washed her hands of the church. Continue reading Has Leah Remini Left the Church of Scientology?
 Here in the U.S., it’s a special day. We hope our American readers have found a relaxing way to celebrate the independence of this great nation.
We have a full day planned here in the bunker, and so we’re hoping to turn things over to you on this holiday. We’d love to hear from the former members of the Church of Scientology who read this blog: Please tell us about your own declaration of independence. Continue reading The Declaration of Independence: When Did You Join the Sons of Liberty?
 Acting on a tip from a parent that was posted over at WhyWeProtest.net, we contacted a former teacher at New Village Leadership Academy to ask if the school in Calabasas, California has shut its doors permanently.
He said that it has, and forwarded us to a Facebook message that was posted on June 28 by Eva Sanchez, who worked at the school: “Today, I closed a beautiful beautiful book full of great people, wonderful memories & endless stories that I will never forget. Tough day!” We have confirmed directly with a member of the academy’s board of directors that the school has closed down. The school achieved notoriety for having been supported by generous donations from actor Will Smith and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith, whose children attended classes there (but haven’t for some time). Tax records show that the Smiths also were on the school’s board of directors. New Village Leadership Academy was a non-profit, independent school for kindergarten through sixth grade. Continue reading Will Smith-Backed School That Used Scientology Materials Closes Its Doors
Back in 2007, when John Sweeney of the BBC (right) came to Los Angeles to film an episode of Panorama entitled “Scientology and Me,” he was treated rather roughly by the church’s two top media handlers, Tommy Davis (left) and a gaunt-looking Mike Rinder, who had just been plucked out of “The Hole” for assignment after more than a year on thin slop and sleeping under desks at the church’s bizarre ecclesiastical office-prison. Now, for the first time, Rinder, who left Scientology not too long after this photo was taken, has fired a broadside directly at his former colleague, telling Davis that it’s time he started spilling his guts about abuse he witnessed in the church. Continue reading Scientology Grudge Match: Tommy Davis Gets Called Out By Mike Rinder
 After failing with multiple appeals to the California and U.S. Supreme Courts to prevent it, today the Church of Scientology complied with a lower court order and turned over 18,000 pages of documents to former church employee Laura DeCrescenzo.
She will now begin a process of reviewing the electronic files to see if they’re complete. The church, meanwhile, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari to review the court order, but that may take many months and odds are against the court even considering it. DeCrescenzo first filed suit against Scientology in 2009 after working as a member of its “Sea Org” for twelve years. She’s alleging that she suffered a number of abuses during that time, including a forced abortion when she was only 17. She has now been handed a huge trove of documents from her confessional “pc files” which may help bolster her case. Continue reading Scientology Turns Over Documents, Laura DeCrescenzo Begins Process to Review Them
 Claire Headley is taking us on our journey to train as Scientologists. She and her husband Marc were Sea Org workers who escaped from Scientology’s International Base in 2005. She spent years working with Scientology’s “tech,” and was trusted to oversee the auditing of Tom Cruise. Go here to see the first part in this series.
Claire, last time we learned about how much Scientology learning is often repetitive. How about this week? CLAIRE: More of the same, I’m afraid. Continue reading Claire Headley on Scientology’s Feats of Clay — ALSO: Geir Isene on Wikipedia
 Scientology’s motion for a protective order in Laura DeCrescenzo’s forced-abortion lawsuit was denied in part today, and as a result the church’s attorneys said in court that they will be turning over a compact disc with 18,000 pages of unredacted evidence to DeCrescenzo tomorrow.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ronald Sohigian did agree with the church that third-party names in the files should be removed. So he ordered the church to produce another set of the evidence with third-party names redacted within 30 days. After appeals to the California and U.S. Supreme Courts failed, Scientology had no further way to delay turning over the documents, which Sohigian had ordered the church to fork over this spring in DeCrescenzo’s four-year legal odyssey. Barring any last-minute shenanigans — which Scientology is well known for — tomorrow Laura finally gets her files. Continue reading Scientology To Turn Over 18,000 Pages of Evidence to Laura DeCrescenzo on Tuesday
 We reached out to Jenna Miscavige Hill for a comment about the stunning news that showed up this weekend in the Tampa Bay Times about her aunt, Denise Gentile, who is the twin sister of Scientology’s leader, David Miscavige.
Joe Childs reported for the Times that Gentile was arrested in January for DUI and marijuana possession, and in his investigation of the arrest, he found that she and her husband Gerald had rented out run-down properties that were used by tenants for drug dealing. One tenant claimed that he paid Denise rent in the form of marijuana “blunts.” Jenna, meanwhile, has been on a months-long publicity campaign to support her memoir, Beyond Belief, which was published in February. In it, the niece of David Miscavige and Denise Gentile describes the difficulties of her upbringing in the church. She portrays her uncle as a cowardly bully, but Denise Gentile gets a more sympathetic treatment. How, we asked Jenna, does she feel about this weekend’s news? Continue reading Jenna Miscavige Hill Reacts to the News of the Arrest of her Aunt, Denise Gentile
 Joe Childs at the Tampa Bay Times sent reverberations across the world of Scientology-watching last night with his stunning investigative story about the arrest of Denise Gentile, twin sister to Scientology leader David Miscavige.
Gentile, 53, was arrested in January for DUI, possession of nine marijuana “blunts,” and failure to yield. Childs painstakingly pieced together the background of the arrest, which is sordid and fascinating. According to Childs’ reporting, Denise Gentile and her husband Gerald owned and rented numerous run-down rental properties in Pinellas County, Florida that became havens for drug dealing. Denise, the article says, even took rent from one tenant in the form of marijuana cigarettes. Continue reading Tampa Bay Times Portrays Twin Sister of Scientology Leader as Dope-Smoking Slumlord
 Jon Atack is the author of A Piece of Blue Sky, one of the very best books on L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. He now has a new edition of the book out, 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.
Continue reading When Jon Atack Declared David Miscavige a Suppressive Person
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Recently, we got a tip from one of our better sources that Leah Remini had left Scientology in an angry fit.
