Scientology wastes no time taking over Florida sign after ‘disconnection’ billboard expires

[Photo by Mark Bunker]

When Phil and Willie Jones took their idea to Florida for a billboard about Scientology’s toxic ‘disconnection’ policy — an idea that had garnered them a huge amount of press in Los Angeles — they were able to crowdfund enough money to post their sign just off E Bay Drive in Largo, only a few miles from Scientology’s spiritual headquarters in Clearwater.

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Is the Enquirer’s ‘exclusive’ on Scientology’s ‘hooker orgy’ a David Miscavige backfire?

The National Enquirer announced this week that it had a “blockbuster world exclusive” involving some FBI documents that describe, in the Enquirer’s words, “Scientology Leaders’ HOOKER ORGY!”

Continue reading Is the Enquirer’s ‘exclusive’ on Scientology’s ‘hooker orgy’ a David Miscavige backfire?

Steven Mango, who appears in Theroux film, calls police to Scientology facility over assault

[L to R: Andrew Perez, Steven Mango, and BBC presenter Louis Theroux]

Steven Mango makes an appearance in Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie, which opens in Australia in less than two weeks and in the US in January. But last night, Mango got more than he bargained for when he tried to warn some Hollywood tourists about his bad experiences with the Church of Scientology and ended up with a sore shoulder, a police report, and plans to sue over what he characterizes as an unprovoked assault.

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Ken Dandar’s courtroom nightmare is finally over (unless Scientology starts it over from scratch)

Finally, Ken Dandar’s bizarre Florida court tug-of-war, which at one point had him facing a $1 million dollar judgment awarded to the Church of Scientology, has finally come to an end.

Continue reading Ken Dandar’s courtroom nightmare is finally over (unless Scientology starts it over from scratch)

Maybe the worst thing about Scientology: It turns you into L. Ron Hubbard

We’ve been on the road for more than a week, and it was sure good to get home yesterday. Once again, our contributors and tipsters really came through for us so we could keep the blog going uninterrupted. And we want to thank Jon Atack, who knew we were traveling and was thoughtful enough to send us a bonus post for our homecoming.

Continue reading Maybe the worst thing about Scientology: It turns you into L. Ron Hubbard

Trump is drawing comparisons to L. Ron, but will Hillary favor Scientology as much as Bill did?

[Image by DonkeyHotey]

We hear it all the time. Doesn’t Donald Trump remind you of L. Ron Hubbard?

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Who are the clergy Scientology convinces to attend its ‘interfaith’ farces?

Rod Keller keeps an eye on Scientology social media for us, and this week he spotted something he decided to dive into in more depth. Take it away, Rod…

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Atack: Why those who try to save Scientology from itself are doomed to failure

Jon Atack is the author of A Piece of Blue Sky, one of the very best books on L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. He has a new edition of the book for sale, and for more than three years he’s been helping us sift through the legends, myths, and contested facts about Scientology that tend to get hashed and rehashed in books, articles, and especially on the Internet.

Continue reading Atack: Why those who try to save Scientology from itself are doomed to failure

Gawker goes dark, but its impact on Scientology — and Tom Cruise — will never be forgotten

We learned yesterday that next week, Gawker will shut down. For some of us who toiled in the trenches of New York journalism of a certain era, the news is hard to believe. Gawker had a big effect on the way online journalism is done (not all of it positive, some will tell you), and it certainly changed the way we think about writing and reporting.

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New Scientology financial disclosures reflect the dire state of its chief drug rehab

[David Miscavige visiting Narconon Arrowhead in the mid-2000s]

Contributor Jeffrey Augustine keeps a close eye on Scientology’s financial documents. And he has some new information today that backs up what we’ve been told anecdotally by our other sources — that Scientology’s flagship drug rehab center in Oklahoma, Narconon Arrowhead, is in serious trouble. Take it away, Jeffrey…

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