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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Five years ago: Scientology’s ‘disconnection’ and the death of Alexander Jentzsch

[Alexander Jentzsch, age 7]

We have pointed out numerous times that the first week of July in 2012 was perhaps the most eventful in our 22 years of reporting on Scientology. So much was happening that week as the media scrambled to cover the fallout over Katie Holmes splitting from Tom Cruise at the end of []

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Scientology disconnection: A toxic policy that punishes innocent people every day of the week

[Brian Sheen and his daughter Spring, before disconnection]

We heard unexpectedly from Brian Sheen yesterday, who told us why today was a grim anniversary for []

Billboard up on Sunset Blvd! Calls attention to Scientology ‘disconnection’ only blocks from HQ

 Happy Valentine’s Day, David Miscavige!

Phil and Willie Jones have done it again, putting up a billboard calling attention to Scientology’s cruel “disconnection” policy after raising money on a crowdfunding website. (And thanks to Brett Chance for the photo of how it []

Fed up with Scientology disconnection? Be there to dedicate the new ‘Call Me’ billboard Feb. 18

 It’s one of the things we’ve heard from people who watched Leah Remini’s A&E series Scientology and the Aftermath — what can I do about the abuses that Leah exposed on her []

The new ‘disconnection’ billboard on Sunset Blvd is going to be a Valentine to Scientology

 Previously, Phil Jones revealed the location of his newest “Call Me” anti-disconnection billboard in Los Angeles that will call attention to the Church of Scientology’s practice of splitting up []

Phil and Willie Jones launch a new effort for billboard about Scientology disconnection

 Phil and Willie are back! After putting up billboards that call attention to Scientology’s ‘disconnection’ policy in Los Angeles and Largo, Florida last year, Phil and Willie Jones say they’re launching a new effort to get their billboard put up again in L.A. And that’s where you come []

Disconnection, neglect, and suicide: Scientology, it’s even worse than you think

[Marie Bilheimer]

We first heard from Marie Bilheimer more than a year ago. Like so many other former members of the Church of Scientology, she wanted to communicate with us even though she wasn’t ready to go public with her story. []

Amy Scobee: ‘Even on her deathbed, my mom was fighting Scientology and disconnection’

[Mat Pesch and Amy Scobee, while Angelo Pagan photobombs]

When we called up Amy Scobee last night, she still hadn’t seen the episode of Leah Remini’s A&E show that featured her so prominently. But she had a pretty good idea of what would be in []

Leah Remini’s Scientology series opens with a gut-wrenching story of ‘disconnection’

[Rinder and Remini, on the case]

Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, the A&E series that begins airing Tuesday night at 10 pm, opens with Leah Remini talking directly to you against a black []

Scientology’s ‘disconnection’ policy gets sacrificed on the Burning Man altar

 We heard from a special correspondent who sent us photos from this year’s Burning Man event at Black Rock City, Nevada. []