Can the Danny Masterson jury figure things out today?

[Defense atty Philip Cohen, prosecutors Reinhold Mueller and Ariel Anson, and defendant Danny Masterson]

After a week off, the jury in the Danny Masterson trial will resume deliberations this morning, and we’ll be in court to bring you the results.

Continue reading Can the Danny Masterson jury figure things out today?

Scientology actually found the one guy who joined because of a Super Bowl ad

[Fabio, and the 2016 ad that got him]

In 2012, Scientology made a huge tactical mistake, suing a former Sea Org official named Debbie Cook. What was Cook’s crime? She had dared to send around an email to other Scientologists complaining about the direction leader David Miscavige was taking the church.

Continue reading Scientology actually found the one guy who joined because of a Super Bowl ad

How the Danny Masterson trial looks inside the Church of Scientology

We’ve had a couple of good pieces this year from a former Scientology Sea Org manager who is still “under the radar” and maintains relationships with many current, active Scientologists. They wrote about the development of service contracts in the church and also how bestsellers were made of Hubbard books. And this time, we thought we’d ask them about the Danny Masterson trial while we wait for it to resume, and how it’s playing among the members they know.

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There she blows! More Scientology whales spotted, including some surprises

On Wednesday we celebrated the arrival of the new Impact magazine, the Scientology publication that annually (and sometimes more frequently) names the biggest donors to the International Association of Scientologists (IAS), which is Scientology’s membership organization.

Continue reading There she blows! More Scientology whales spotted, including some surprises

Special Thanksgiving Podcast: ‘A Billion Years’ author Mike Rinder on Scientology’s epic fails

[Illustration by Observer]

On September 27, we had the treat of meeting Mike Rinder in Manhattan on the publication day of his book, A Billion Years: My Escape from a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology. (See our review of the book here.)

Continue reading Special Thanksgiving Podcast: ‘A Billion Years’ author Mike Rinder on Scientology’s epic fails

Scientology’s richest in 2022: Where have all the whales gone?

Our many thanks to the reader who forwarded us Scientology’s newest Impact magazine, our favorite of all the publications that Scientology denudes entire forests to put out.

Continue reading Scientology’s richest in 2022: Where have all the whales gone?

The Scientology oversharer becomes a faith healer: It’s a Dianetics miracle!

While we wait for the Danny Masterson jury to come back from its holiday week, we thought we’d catch up with one of our favorite Scientology oversharers to see what she’s been up to.

Continue reading The Scientology oversharer becomes a faith healer: It’s a Dianetics miracle!

While Danny Masterson’s jury takes a holiday, we talk and talk

Let the interviews begin! Your proprietor was busy this weekend as we prepared to fly back to New York for a week off from the Danny Masterson trial. Before we could get out of town, several good folks wanted to chat with us about what it’s been like to report from the courtroom.

Continue reading While Danny Masterson’s jury takes a holiday, we talk and talk

What the jurors didn’t hear: How Scientology keeps crimes under wraps

[Scientology’s Hollywood Celebrity Centre]

Our frequent contributor Sunny Pereira, a former Scientology Sea Org official at the Hollywood Celebrity Centre, came to the Danny Masterson trial on the last day of testimony. She was there as an advocate for her friend, Rachel Smith, who was the final witness to testify in the trial. We asked her for some thoughts on the trial, and this is what she sent us.

Continue reading What the jurors didn’t hear: How Scientology keeps crimes under wraps

Let’s help out a couple of former Scientologists who could use your attention

[Ian Rafalko]

We’ve been pretty busy with the Danny Masterson trial over the last few weeks, but now that it’s on pause, we want to bring your attention to some other important issues.

Continue reading Let’s help out a couple of former Scientologists who could use your attention

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