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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Transcript: In the Danny Masterson lawsuit, Scientology continues to get its way

[Judge Steven Kleifield and attorney Stewart Ryan]

After Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Steven Kleifield stunned us with a December 30 ruling for the Church of Scientology, denying the right to trial for former Scientologists who are suing the church and actor Danny Masterson, forcing them instead into Scientology’s internal “religious arbitration,” the decision left the []

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Judge in Danny Masterson lawsuit doubts Scientology ‘arbitration,’ sets hearing

[Judge Steven J. Kleifield]

In what appears to be a pretty unusual turn of events, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Steven Kleifield, after hearing Scientology’s argument on November 6 about why it should be able to force Danny Masterson’s rape accusers into “religious arbitration,” has decided to erase that hearing as if it never []

Danny Masterson asks to halt civil lawsuit while criminal case is ongoing, as expected

 On Thursday Danny Masterson filed a motion to stay a civil lawsuit brought against him in 2019 by Chrissie Carnell Bixler, her husband, and three other women. They’re suing Masterson, the Church of Scientology, and its leader David Miscavige for what they allege is a campaign of harassment since the women went to the LAPD []

Danny Masterson’s attempt to get out of rape accusers’ lawsuit to be heard today

 [UPDATE: Masterson’s demurrer was denied, as was Scientology’s, and the lawsuit passes an early hurdle. But with some caveats. More tomorrow.]

It’s another big day for Danny Masterson at Los Angeles Superior Court today, and we hope to bring you an eyewitness account from the hearing as soon as it’s []

SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS, Ep 9: Director Paul Haggis responds to a lawsuit’s rape allegations

 ‘Accused,’ the ninth episode of ‘Scientology Black Ops,’ a special 7NEWS Australia investigation that was cancelled by the network in July, has been leaked to the []

RIFFER: David Miscavige too busy saving Scientology from Covid to be served lawsuit

[Jeffrey Riffer and David Miscavige]

For more than a year, Scientology leader David Miscavige and his attorneys have been working hard to keep him from being served in a lawsuit filed by Danny Masterson’s rape accusers. And right from the beginning, our readers were asking whether that problem could be solved by serving the elusive Miscavige []

Ahead of next week’s hearing, Danny Masterson’s accusers blast his attacks on their lawsuit

[Chrissie Carnell Bixler doesn’t think much of Danny Masterson’s “demurrer”]

On Friday next week, a hearing is scheduled at Los Angeles Superior Court that will consider Scientologist actor Danny Masterson’s “demurrer,” a legalistic attack on a lawsuit filed by four women who allege that they were raped by Masterson, and after they came forward to police []

Valerie Haney reacts to setback in lawsuit against Scientology: ‘I will continue to fight’

 Last week, we reported that Valerie Haney’s attempt at a do-over in her lawsuit against the Church of Scientology had failed, the latest setback in what appeared to be a major legal attack against the church and its leader, David Miscavige, when Valerie first filed it in June []

Two years after filing their appeal, why there’s hope for the Garcias against Scientology

[Luis and Rocio Garcia and the Eleventh Circuit]

Luis and Rocio Garcia have waited more than two years for their appeal to be heard in their derailed lawsuit against the Church of Scientology, and after oral arguments on Thursday, there may actually be a glimmer of []

Scientology takes aim at Mike Rinder and Hana Whitfield in the Valerie Haney lawsuit

 Last week we reported that Scientology’s attorneys are asking for $160,000 in sanctions because that’s how much they charged their clients to deal with Valerie Haney’s attempt at a do-over in her lawsuit against the church and its leader, David []