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]
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John Travolta and his ancient galactic friends celebrate Scientology’s holiest day of year

Today is the holiest day of the Scientology year, when the party-happy organization celebrates March 13, 1911, the date L. Ron Hubbard emerged into the known world to begin a life more adventurous than the lives of a dozen other men. He deigned to spend a little over 74 years in his Nebraska-sourced meat body []

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Meet the guy Scientology is relying on to get the ‘disconnection’ billboard stopped

[Dennis Holt, center]

On Tuesday, Phil Jones signed the contract for his Scientology ‘disconnection’ billboard with Regency Media, and he then gave us the green light to tell our readers about its location and the date of its unveiling. On March 22, the billboard will be dedicated at a celebration held by Phil and his wife []

Belgian judge throws entire case against Scientology out of court on technicality

[Judge Yves Régimont]

Just got this from Jonny Jacobsen…

The judge in the Belgian trial of Scientology has thrown the whole case out on procedural []

Verdict day in Brussels: What you need to know about Scientology on trial

 Verdict now in. Please go to our new story.

A special report from our man in Europe, British journalist Jonny Jacobsen…

A Belgian judge will rule rule today in a case against the Church of Scientology and 12 of its members that could see the organization shut down []

Reporter’s notebook: Scientology’s latest intimidation attempt is sadly familiar

 This isn’t the kind of story that we prefer to write, as our longtime readers can attest. But sometimes, circumstances arise which are hard to ignore. To explain what we mean, we first want to talk a little about Scientology’s goofy propaganda magazine, []

Scientology ‘disconnection’ billboard to be a block from David Miscavige’s office & residence

 Yesterday we took this photo of the current billboard standing on Hollywood Boulevard just east of La Brea Avenue, which features a message from the Air Force Reserve. But not for long. On March 22, Phil and Willie Jones want you to be there as they officially unveil their Scientology ‘disconnection’ billboard at this location, []

BACK ON: Scientology ‘disconnection’ billboard OK’d by competitor after Outfront Media bails

 Phil Jones needed just half a day to rebound from the disappointing news that Outfront Media had rescinded the contract he signed for a three-month, $8,200 billboard in Hollywood that would highlight Scientology’s “disconnection” policy. []

There’s a backstory to the recent news of a Scientology TV ad being banned in the UK

[The claim that got this 2015 Scientology ad banned.]

When we saw the news last week that the U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) had banned a Scientology television commercial, we immediately assumed that we knew who had made the complaint about the ad that eventually got it taken []

Scientology snags a TV news host, and other social media finds around the world

[Mauricio Clark, Scientology’s new get?]

Time again for Rod Keller’s Scientology Social Media Review! Rod goes way back, having kept a meticulous eye on the church since 1992. He’s well known for his indispensable “ARS Week in Review,” which ran for nine years when ARS — the Usenet newsgroup alt.religion.scientology — was the most important daily []

Outfront Media rescinds contract for Scientology ‘disconnection’ billboard in Hollywood

 After he signed a three-month, $8,200 contract for a billboard about Scientology with the Los Angeles office of Outfront Media, former Scientologist Phil Jones has learned that the New York head office of Outfront — formerly CBS Outdoor — canceled the contract without []