FOLLOW ME ON
Daily Notifications
Sign up for free emails to receive the feature story every morning in your inbox at tonyortega.substack.com

Categories

Your Scientology superpower is here, Thetan, and it’s for the birds!

 TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Last time Scientology put out an issue of Advance! magazine with its popular feature ‘OT Phenomena,’ we complained how tepid the stories by Scientologists boasting about supernatural abilities had become. Were they listening? You []

ADVERTISEMENT

Scientology celebrates 20 ‘Ideal’ years in Madrid — but leaves out Tom Cruise!

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Scientology leader David Miscavige’s pet project, turning ‘orgs’ into ‘Ideal Orgs,’ got going in 2003, so this week they celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Madrid grand opening. But somehow they left out the []

Tracey McManus heading to Dallas after stellar Scientology reporting in Florida

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Tracey McManus let us know that she’s moving to the Dallas Morning News. We told her we’re thrilled for her career, but sad for the people of Clearwater and its environs in Florida, where []

Mitch Brisker sheds light on Emily Armstrong’s ties to Scientology mom

 TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: In the controversy about Emily Armstrong’s Scientology past and her new gig with Linkin Park, we’ve been looking particularly at her Sea Org mom, Gail. Mitch Brisker was working with Gail as recently as []

Scientology revives another tradition as it keeps pushing new buildings

 TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: We’ve come nearly a full year since Scientology leader David Miscavige began what appeared to be an effort to shake off the restrictions of the pandemic and restore some of Scientology’s previous traditions, including []

Scientology is the key to happiness! Just ask this guy.

 TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: We know you may have read Scientology success stories in the past. But we were curious to see what you get out of this latest glowing testimonial from the UK headquarters, Saint Hill Manor, []

One year ago: The sentencing hearing that put Scientology celeb Danny Masterson away

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: We couldn’t be in Judge Olmedo’s court for Danny Masterson’s sentencing, but we obtained the transcript of what was said that day. So on the anniversary of the hearing that put away Masterson for []

Uncovering Scientology schemers: A tale of journalistic perseverance

[From Libération’s illustration by Xavier Lissillour]

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: A Scientologist indicted for running a company into the ground with Scientology techniques turns out to be behind another questionable scheme. Fortunately for the public, a reporter has been []

Scientology’s sneaky front groups keep doing their thing — and some are succeeding

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: No matter how challenging things have been for Scientology, it never gives up. You can always count on its sneaky front groups, for instance, to insinuate themselves no matter how many times they’ve been []

Scientology’s founder in King Arthur’s Court: When Ron ran for the hills!

 TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: It’s one of our favorite anecdotes about Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard from Russell Miller’s wonderful biography, ‘Bare-Faced Messiah,’ and now we have a fun bonus to go along with it. [What is this []