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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How a decaying landmark became Scientology’s legendary Hollywood Celebrity Centre

 Yacht Apollo, early 1974. “The Commodore says if you don’t handle this situation he’s going to punch you on the []

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Scientology’s saddest celebrity, Eddie Deezen, committed after latest arrest

[Eddie Deezen in ‘Wargames,’ and today]

On April 11 we broke the news that actor Eddie Deezen had been arrested again in Cumberland, Maryland, this time for burglary and trespassing. Three days later, TMZ added the detail that Eddie had pushed his way into a nursing home and refused to leave, resulting in the []

When you’re a child in Scientology’s Sea Org, the stress is meant to overwhelm you

[Mark in Clearwater with his grandmother, who died in the Sea Org]

It was night when I landed in Florida after leaving England. I was accompanied by a female stewardess who had been charged with seeing me to a security []

Quentin Hubbard’s suicide: A Scientology-based explanation so insane it might be true

[Quentin Hubbard audits a preclear. Photo courtesy of Karen de la Carriere.]

Clearwater, October 1976. Every evening at the Fort Harrison Hotel’s Lemon Tree restaurant, which had been converted to the officers’ dining room, we get together for dinner. There are four of us sharing a booth along the wall, the seats and backs covered with []

Scientology enlisting police to indoctrinate kids? Sure, why not!

 Last month we told you that, thanks to a “reply all” accident, we’d learned that some in the Dutch government consider Scientology a “controversial” organization and are keeping a wary eye on its floating cathedral, the vessel Freewinds, as it spends time in Dutch islands of the []

What the Dutch Coast Guard really thinks about Scientology and its ship the Freewinds

[Is this Freewinds Capt Mike Napier “training” Dutch Coast Guard members?]

In 2019, Scientology issued one of its typically boastful press releases, this time about its private cruise ship, the Freewinds. In it, the church claimed about its floating cathedral, “Such is her reputation, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) appointed the Freewinds as a training platform []

Clearwater deal: Scientology leader David Miscavige will finally get parcel he covets

 Last night, Tracey McManus uncorked another stunning scoop at the Tampa Bay Times: New Clearwater City Manager Jon Jennings and Scientology leader David Miscavige have come to a meeting of minds, with a deal in the works to begin to revive the city’s Scientology-soaked []

Here’s Scientology’s petition for rehearing in Masterson lawsuit, arguing that court blew it

[Chrissie Bixler and Scientology’s attorneys, Forman and Hinks]

Gene Maddaus at Variety broke the news this afternoon that Scientology had filed a petition with a California appeals court, asking for a rehearing after a recent big loss in the lawsuit filed by Danny Masterson’s rape []

New source appears to confirm the Insider on Scientology and Sea Org vaccinations

[Scientology’s PAC base in Los Angeles]

Beginning on December 18, we revealed that we’d been talking to a new source inside the Church of Scientology. The Insider, as we dubbed the source, provided a stark description of Scientology’s current situation in a number of detailed posts. (See here, here, here, here, and []

Scientology may be struggling, but the push for your cash is still on, thetans!

[Scientology in Michigan is on fire!]

It’s been very busy around here lately, and so we wanted to catch up on our mail. Our tipsters have been forwarding the latest mailers from the church, and wow, the excitement is []