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‘Ellen’ from the Scientology ‘Day Care from Hell’ story comes forward

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: This weekend Leah Remini and Yashar Ali posted the first online photo of Julian Swartz, the notorious Scientology enforcer in a day-care scandal we wrote about in 2015, featuring a woman we named Ellen. Now, Ellen tells us she has made a big decision: It’s time to identify herself. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

Continue reading ‘Ellen’ from the Scientology ‘Day Care from Hell’ story comes forward

A Julian Swartz production: The Scientology day-care from hell

 
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: During Danny Masterson’s 2nd trial, DAs posted a photo of #Scientology enforcer Julian Swartz. Leah Remini & Yashar Ali have made that photo public, and said he was known for a day-care scandal. We wrote about it in 2015, and we’re posting it again for those who didn’t see it. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

Continue reading A Julian Swartz production: The Scientology day-care from hell

VIDEO: Russell Miller on how he was targeted by Scientology for his Hubbard biography

 
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: If you read only one book about Scientology, let it be Russell Miller’s epic biography of L. Ron Hubbard, ‘Bare-Faced Messiah.’ And now, Karen de la Carriere has done us all a favor and interviewed him about the Fair Game he experienced for exposing L. Ron as such a blowhard. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

Continue reading VIDEO: Russell Miller on how he was targeted by Scientology for his Hubbard biography

SCIENTOLOGY PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR UNDER OATH: Quizzed about following Leah Remini

 
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 not every day that we get a Scientology private investigator under oath, so this is really something. This former NYPD detective was quizzed this week about stalking Leah Remini in Manhattan in 2017, and how his cover was blown by a reporter at the time. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

Continue reading SCIENTOLOGY PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR UNDER OATH: Quizzed about following Leah Remini

Greek church calls BS on Scientology: Why doesn’t this happen more often?

 
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Historian Chris Owen has been writing about #Scientology in places like Greece for us for years, so when we saw that the Greek church had put out a statement denouncing Hubbardism, we knew Chris was the right person to put it in context. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

Continue reading Greek church calls BS on Scientology: Why doesn’t this happen more often?

More letters — from Ethan Suplee and others — on behalf of Danny Masterson to Judge Olmedo

 
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Last week we created a firestorm when we published letters by Ashton Kutcher & Mila Kunis asking for leniency for Danny Masterson. We said then that there were more letters that were difficult to make out. We’ve now remedied that, and we can show you more appeals to the judge. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

Continue reading More letters — from Ethan Suplee and others — on behalf of Danny Masterson to Judge Olmedo

The Jane Doe victim statements at Danny Masterson’s sentencing: The transcript

[Listen well, Danny]

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: At Thursday’s sentencing, we had a correspondent taking detailed notes of the Jane Doe victim impact statements. Now, we have a transcript of the hearing with a more exact record of those statements and Judge Olmedo’s comments as she sentenced Danny Masterson to prison. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

Continue reading The Jane Doe victim statements at Danny Masterson’s sentencing: The transcript

How Gwyneth Paltrow is helping out Scientology this 9-11

 
TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Scientology’s TV channel is nearly all unwatchable propaganda. An exception is the ‘Documentary Showcase’ when films by outsiders are shown. And now, for 9-11, Scientology is boasting about a documentary it will be featuring that we thought you’d want to hear about. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

Continue reading How Gwyneth Paltrow is helping out Scientology this 9-11

Today at Daily Beast: Joe Reaiche threatens to sue Danny Masterson’s sibs over court letters

[Former rugby player Joe Reaiche has a scrum on his hands with his kids Jordan and Alanna Masterson]

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: Since we posted letters by Danny Masterson’s friends and family asking for leniency, there’s been a firestorm on social media, particularly over Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis (who put out an apology). But there’s another drama in those letters, as we explain today at The Daily Beast. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

Continue reading Today at Daily Beast: Joe Reaiche threatens to sue Danny Masterson’s sibs over court letters

PODCAST: This week’s sentencing and letters drama left us needing some group therapy

TODAY AT SUBSTACK: If you’ve signed up for free emails at Substack, you will receive today’s feature story at your inbox: The gang is back together this week for some Group Therapy, but given the magnitude of this week’s Scientology news, we thought we’d make this episode available to everyone. [What is this Substack thing, anyway?]

Continue reading PODCAST: This week’s sentencing and letters drama left us needing some group therapy