Tony Ortega | The Underground Bunker

Tony Ortega is a journalist who was formerly the editor of The Village Voice. He's written about Scientology since 1995, and in May 2015 released a book about Scientology's harassment of Paulette Cooper titled 'The Unbreakable Miss Lovely.' He continues to monitor breaking developments in the Scientology world from an undisclosed location in an underground bunker he shares with four cats and one of them wrinkly Shar Pei dogs. Despite his super-secret security protections, you can still reach him pretty easily by sending him a message at tonyo94 AT gmail.com (Drop him a line if you'd like to get an e-mail whenever a new story is posted.) [Header image courtesy John Rickard]

Nxivm: Cross of Mark Vicente begins, Keith Raniere’s attorney digs into HBO project

[Raniere’s attorney Marc Agnifilo. Photo by Dianne Lipson]

Dianne Lipson is out of the court after the Nxivm trial’s morning session, which saw the conclusion of Mark Vicente’s direct testimony and the beginning of his cross-examination by Keith Raniere’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo. Here are her […]

John Travolta’s daughter makes her own Scientology splash at awards ceremony

[Antonio Rosales, Ella Bleu Travolta, and behind her, the Commodore]

In March we told you how surprised we were to see that Tom Cruise’s daughter Isabella had allowed herself to be featured in a Church of Scientology mailer put out by the London org. It was yet another sign of how dedicated Tom and his older […]

Keith Raniere’s attorney wants to bar evidence of Nxivm going after its enemies

[Keith Raniere and Nancy Salzman]

Although there was no new testimony for the jury today, our correspondent Dianne Lipson says a fascinating dispute happened between the prosecution and defense over evidence found in Nxivm “prefect” Nancy Salzman’s house. Here’s her […]

Nxivm witness: Even after his wife ditched the authoritarian group, he tried to stick it out

[Mark Vicente]

Our correspondent, Dianne Lipson, tells us that there will be no new testimony in the Nxivm trial today because an alternate juror is ill.

But here’s her account of yesterday’s afternoon session, with more testimony from filmmaker Mark […]

Why the quarantine is such a fail: Scientology ship was set up as an interrogation factory

Two weeks ago today Scientology’s floating cathedral the Freewinds arrived at St. Lucia and was put under quarantine. Officials in the Dutch islands of Aruba and Curacao had confirmed that there was a female crew member with measles on board the private cruise ship, and they alerted St. Lucian officials so that no one disembarked […]

Nxivm witness: Keith Raniere put women through brutal humiliation to ‘toughen’ them

[Mark Vicente, still on the stand]

Our correspondent Dianne Lipson reports to us on the morning session today at the Nxivm trial, where filmmaker Mark Vicente continues to be on direct examination for the […]

Scientology admits it’s selling ‘magic’ at its Florida spiritual mecca

Thanks again to our tipsters for sending us the newest Scientology publications, including a new issue of Source that we wanted to share with you. […]

Scientology finds the dream solution to its recruiting woes — the QR Code!

[Melbourne staff learn to scan each other]

Scientology orgs around the world are receiving visitors from Scientology Media Productions, or SMP. It’s the new Sea Org Org that occupies the former KCET television studios in Hollywood and created Scientology TV. They are on tour because staff members have to be shown how to use the latest […]

Scientology’s mental whammy is like taking one too many pucks to the head

Things may look dark for Scientology right now, with its cruise ship the laughingstock of the world, its celebrities constantly mocked and jeered in pop culture, and church leader David Miscavige becoming increasingly known for banishing his wife to an uncertain […]

Trial testimony: Keith Raniere’s time was worth $100,000 an hour, Nxivm member was told

[Filmmaker Mark Vicente became head of the video department at Nxivm]

There’s no new testimony today in the Nxivm trial, but the last time we left off, our correspondent Dianne Lipson was heading back in for yesterday’s afternoon session, with more direct examination of filmmaker Mark Vicente. Here’s her […]

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