Shifting gears: Leah Remini talks about tonight’s two-hour special on Jehovah’s Witnesses

Tonight, Leah Remini and her co-star Mike Rinder tack into uncharted territory. Before the third season of their Emmy-winning A&E series Scientology and the Aftermath begins in two weeks, they are airing tonight at 9 pm Eastern a two-hour special on another subject entirely.

Continue reading Shifting gears: Leah Remini talks about tonight’s two-hour special on Jehovah’s Witnesses

AUDIO: Scientology fundraising throws in a little conspiracy-mongering for effect

[Dr. Ben and his glamorous daughter, Meghan]

New York City school infiltrator, NYPD gladhander, Queens dentist, and Scientology Freedom Medal winner Dr. Bernard Fialkoff just never rests.

Continue reading AUDIO: Scientology fundraising throws in a little conspiracy-mongering for effect

Michigan Catholic couple appears to open a Scientology drug rehab without a permit

Rod Keller digs in to a small mystery happening in Michigan…

In early October this sign appeared on a property in Birch Run, Michigan. Residents noticed; some began to Google “Narconon” and found it to be associated with Scientology. Township officials became concerned. They had received an application for an alcohol and drug rehab facility in February 2018 and had responded in August with a letter noting some deficiencies in the application. They haven’t heard back since. The application hadn’t mentioned Narconon, now were they opening the rehab facility without getting the proper permits?

Continue reading Michigan Catholic couple appears to open a Scientology drug rehab without a permit

Bent Corydon on Scientology’s Sunday night massacre: ‘We all clapped at the right places’

[Homer Schomer, Mike Rinder, and Bent Corydon at a recent get-together in Los Angeles]

We have another classic for you this week in our ‘Scientology Lit’ series — a chapter from Bent Corydon’s landmark 1987 book, L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman? Bent was a mission holder in Riverside, California who lost his mission but fought successfully to hold on to the building it was in. He also had to fight litigation from the church over his book, and also had to deal with his co-writer, L. Ron Hubbard Jr., pulling one of his flip-flops and turning on him. We chose a chapter that features Bent himself, talking about the drama of the infamous 1982 Mission Holder’s conference in San Francisco, when a young David Miscavige began to exert his authority on behalf of Hubbard, who was in hiding at the time. The SF conference came ten months after a Florida meeting when the Mission Holders had voiced their concerns about the increasingly heavy-handeded methods of Hubbard’s new young lieutenants…

Continue reading Bent Corydon on Scientology’s Sunday night massacre: ‘We all clapped at the right places’

Someone is faking Lawrence Wright emails — and this one is about the Underground Bunker

[Lawrence Wright (Credit: Jana Birchum)]

More than five years after the publication of his epic history of Scientology, Going Clear, and three years since the hugely successful HBO documentary of the same name, Lawrence Wright is still the target of stupid dirty tricks and harassment.

Continue reading Someone is faking Lawrence Wright emails — and this one is about the Underground Bunker

Is Tom Cruise buying up downtown Clearwater to create a Scientology entertainment mecca?

[Tom Cruise and the Skyview in downtown Clearwater]

Clay Irwin signed a deal today to sell his downtown Clearwater bar, the Lucky Anchor, after a little less than two years operating a watering hole in the shadow of Scientology’s spiritual mecca.

Continue reading Is Tom Cruise buying up downtown Clearwater to create a Scientology entertainment mecca?

Scientology’s weirdly detailed shrine to L. Ron Hubbard in Florida even has ocean sounds

[Hubbard in the room that is now lovingly recreated at Flag]

Our thanks again to Rasha, who rushed to us the newest Source magazine out of Scientology’s spiritual mecca, the Flag Land Base in Clearwater, Florida. Most of it is the usual drivel, encouraging members to drop large sums on a visit so they can achieve Super Power or the L. Rundowns. But among the usual blather, one item really caught our attention.

Continue reading Scientology’s weirdly detailed shrine to L. Ron Hubbard in Florida even has ocean sounds

Here’s an example of how Scientology’s ‘disconnection’ is designed to eat away at you

[Carol Nyburg, with the son, Jeff, who didn’t turn his back on her]

We’ve written several times about Carol Nyburg. Many ex-Scientologists remember her as the friendly accommodations registrar at the Flag Land Base — it was Carol’s job to get you placed in the right rooms when you came for an extended stay at Scientology’s spiritual mecca.

Continue reading Here’s an example of how Scientology’s ‘disconnection’ is designed to eat away at you

Juliette Lewis wants on ‘Red Table Talk’ — and here’s what Jada Smith should ask her

[Jada Pinkett Smith and Juliette Lewis]

By now you’ve no doubt seen various recaps of yesterday’s “Red Table Talk” episode featuring Leah Remini and Jada Pinkett Smith, including our own. As we said yesterday, Leah made the most of her appearance, and a huge new audience was exposed to Scientology’s controversies.

But for us, one of the most interesting things about the show occurred before the episode actually aired.

Continue reading Juliette Lewis wants on ‘Red Table Talk’ — and here’s what Jada Smith should ask her

Jada Pinkett Smith reconciles with Leah Remini and puts herself in Scientology’s crosshairs

A highly-anticipated summit between Leah Remini and Jada Pinkett Smith took place on Jada’s Facebook series, “Red Table Talk,” which was released this afternoon. The 20-minute episode was billed in pre-show publicity as a way for the two women to reconcile after a public spat between them over Scientology.

Continue reading Jada Pinkett Smith reconciles with Leah Remini and puts herself in Scientology’s crosshairs

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