When the famous war protester met Scientology: A spiritual encounter in Los Angeles

Sunny Pereira, who has helped us out with so many Scientology technical issues, brought up a memory she had about a remarkable man. Once she told us about it, we asked her to write it up for the Bunker as a poignant slice of Sea Org life. We hope you’ll agree that it was a story worth telling…

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Bad boys, part two: Scientology’s involvement with drug smugglers had a long legacy

[L. Ron and Mary Sue Hubbard were running spy operations from sea]

Yesterday, historian Chris Owen explored how Scientology’s Guardian’s Office mounted a secret intelligence operation in cooperation with US Customs to break up an international drug smuggling ring involving ex-Scientologists and two Sea Org vessels. Today, he continues the story with a look at the fate of the man at the center of the operation, ex-Sea Org member Jerry McDonald, and why Scientology remained under investigation for smuggling.

Continue reading Bad boys, part two: Scientology’s involvement with drug smugglers had a long legacy

Bad boys of the Sea Org: guns, drugs, murder and Scientology

[L. Ron Hubbard, Commodore of his own navy]

Chris Owen once again dives into Scientology history to bring us sparkling detail on a sordid episode in Sea Org history. Today, the first of two parts.

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Laura D’s attorneys answer Scientology’s latest delaying tactic with a legal blast of their own

[Laura DeCrescenzo and her attorney, John Blumberg]

Laura DeCrescenzo’s legal team has answered Scientology’s latest delaying tactic in her 2009 forced-abortion lawsuit, and attorneys John Blumberg and Ave Buchwald state up front what’s really at stake as Scientology asks for a stay in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Continue reading Laura D’s attorneys answer Scientology’s latest delaying tactic with a legal blast of their own

Joy Villa makes it back to the White House, but on a sour note

[Joy Villa returned to Washington on Tuesday]

In January, we reported that Joy Villa’s political aspirations had fallen apart when her manager, Robbie Olson, walked away and told us that Joy’s White House connections were drying up. Then earlier this month, we got some confirmation of that when Joy took down her “testing the waters” web pages for a Congressional run.

Continue reading Joy Villa makes it back to the White House, but on a sour note

PRAISE XENU: We have more Scientology hip-hop, and even better – IT’S AUSSIE-FLAVORED

We’ll admit that we’re huge fans of Scientology hip-hop going way back, and although Chill EB is the unrivaled king of the genre, we can’t help having a special appreciation for the Aussie-flavored rap that comes out of the church.

Continue reading PRAISE XENU: We have more Scientology hip-hop, and even better – IT’S AUSSIE-FLAVORED

Karen Pressley on the madness of Sea Org life: ‘I no longer belonged to my dreams’

[Karen Pressley in her ‘Aftermath’ appearance]

Hey, this is becoming a cool series. We recently asked Marc Headley and Jefferson Hawkins for excerpts from their books about their experiences in the Sea Org, and today we have an outtake from Karen Pressley’s book, Escaping Scientology: My Journey with the Cult of Celebrity Spirituality, Greed & Power.

Continue reading Karen Pressley on the madness of Sea Org life: ‘I no longer belonged to my dreams’

Erika Christensen shows off her new Scientology trophy for donating half a million bucks

We’re fortunate that one of our loyal tipsters lives in Italy, where for some reason Scientology publications reveal some things that the magazines here don’t. In this case, we’re talking about an issue of Impact magazine which shows that David Miscavige handed out more trophies to wealthy Scientology donors at the New Year’s event in Los Angeles, something we associate more with the big IAS gala that takes place in England in October.

Continue reading Erika Christensen shows off her new Scientology trophy for donating half a million bucks

When rabid Scientologists got into a fistfight with US marshals to protect L. Ron Hubbard

[Lancaster Dodd’s Philly arrest in ‘The Master’]

After we got a fun new look at the early days of Dianetics through the never-before-published letters of Don Rogers recently, it motivated us to dive back into some similar documents that our fearless researcher, R.M. Seibert, located for us.

Continue reading When rabid Scientologists got into a fistfight with US marshals to protect L. Ron Hubbard

Scientology asks court to freeze Laura D’s forced-abortion case for a long-shot appeal

[Laura DeCrescenzo and Bert Deixler]

We told you that Bert Deixler, Scientology’s top-flight attorney, had filed a notice that the church planned to appeal a federal court ruling even after getting shot down in its latest attempt to throw up a roadblock before Laura DeCrescenzo finally gets her day in court this August on her 9-year forced-abortion lawsuit.

Continue reading Scientology asks court to freeze Laura D’s forced-abortion case for a long-shot appeal

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