Tony Ortega's Blog, page 363
October 13, 2020
The Top 25 People Enabling Scientology, No. 12: The city of Clearwater, Florida
It was one of the most popular scenes from Leah Remini’s three seasons of ‘Scientology and the Aftermath’ on the A&E network. She and Mike Rinder had accompanied Mark Bunker to a small park owned by the Church of Scientology in the downtown of Clearwater, Florida.
Bunker wanted to demonstrate to Leah how much the city of Clearwater itself was in Scientology’s pocket.
And sure enough, within moments of the three of them stepping foot in the park, Cleawater Police Department cruisers started showing up as officers approached the trio and began questioning them about what they were doing on Scientology’s property.
It was about the best demonstration of Clearwater enabling Scientology that we’ve ever seen.
AdvertisementIt wasn’t always this way. There was a time when Clearwater tried to band together against the invading force that had taken over its downtown.
In 1975 Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard had his followers sneak into the city under cover names in order to begin buying up buildings for what became Scientology’s “spiritual mecca,” the Flag Land Base. By the time the town woke up to what was going on, the church had moved in armed guards and began intimidating then-Mayor Gabe Cazares for daring to speak out about the surreptitious takeover.
Scientology got so serious about trying to destroy Cazares for criticizing the way Scientology had lied its way into town, they set up a hit-and-run incident in Washington DC in order to destroy his political career, and the operation was fully spelled out in documents that the FBI seized in a 1977 raid.
By 1979, the full extent of Scientology’s spying and dirty tricks and ruthless designs on Clearwater had become known, and the town rose up to do something about it. Over the next three years Clearwater’s residents and local leaders opposed Scientology, culminating in 1982 public hearings.
Today? Not so much. Thanks to investigative reporter Tracey McManus of the Tampa Bay Times, we know that Scientology now owns more of Clearwater’s downtown than ever before, and the downtown is even deader than it was in the past.
Is Clearwater finally ready to stop being a doormat to this organization that hates the non-Scientologists of Clearwater and does everything it can to keep them out of the center of their own town?
The election of Mark Bunker to the city council seemed like a big step forward. But when will the rest of the city start getting serious about Clearwater being home to Scientology’s most successful factory for separating the gullible from their cash?
The Top 25 People Enabling Scientology
12: The city of Clearwater, Florida
13: Google and other tech titans
14: The Los Angeles Times
15: Jeffrey Riffer
16: James Packer
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17: Louis Farrakhan
18: Mark “Marty” Rathbun
19: Wally Pope
20: Gensler
21: Parents who subscribe to ABCMouse
22: Graham Norton and other celebrity strokers
23: The apologist academics
24: Rebecca Dobkin and other low-level PI grunts
25: DirecTV and filmmakers buffing Dave’s channel
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Leah Remini podcast: Mark Bunker
Mark Bunker’s election to the Clearwater city council was a stunning moment, to be sure. And we’ve been documenting here, with Mark’s help, how much the Church of Scientology is freaking out about his electoral victory.
In this week’s podcast, Leah Remini and Mike Rinder are reunited with Bunker for another episode of their podcast. We have it for you here. Please give it a listen and tell us what stood out for you.
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks, the series axed by Seven News
In July the Australian Seven News network cancelled at the last minute a ten-part nightly news in-depth investigation of the Church of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks operations. All ten episodes have now been leaked to the Internet, and we’ve collected all ten links in one place. Judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series by journalist Bryan Seymour.
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“I was asked to study the physical universe. I was being asked to study nuclear physics, atomic, and molecular phenomena, all sorts of odds and ends and incomprehensibles, and they had not basically resolved the most fundamental things they had to resolve, which are: space, energy and time — what are these things? They’re psychological phenomena. That’s all they are. And the whole science of physics, then, is entirely dependent upon the mind. You want to know why, then, did a nuclear physicist ever go into the field of the mind? Why did we ever get Dianetics and Scientology? Why did I become interested in it? Well, I became definitely interested in it because the smallest unit of energy I could find must be a mental unit of energy.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 13, 1954
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“Wise Scientologists are adopting the advice of Captain Bill Robertson regarding this civilization, that is, “Do not support the Old Civilization.” They just need to take the next step. That is to “Support the New Civilization.” Captain Bill Robertson already set an admin structure and definitions for that New Civilization. Examples: The monetary standards is going to be the value of an auditing intensive. Note: It should be noted that Donald Trump, just like Ronald Reagan before, does not fit into the parameters of the Old Civilization.”
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1995: The text of “Psychiatry and Scientology” by L. J. West, M.D. was posted this week. It was originally printed in The Southern California Psychiatrist, published in 1990 and 1991. “The medical profession as a whole, and psychiatry in particular, has generally failed to fight back or even take notice of Scientology, its slanders and other depredations. In the medical literature there are only a handful of references to Scientology. It is clear that the legitimate healing professions have not come to grips with the dangers posed by cults in general, and with the peculiarly hostile and antipsychiatric ‘church’ of Scientology in particular.
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“I’m not here to change anybody’s mind. I’m a soldier.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Demurrer filed by Masterson, arraignment delayed to October 19.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY. Jeffrey’s is set for October 24.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for a writ of mandate filed with Cal 2nd Appellate District, Sept 10.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Update required in federal lawsuit on Oct 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[The Big Three: Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and Kirstie Alley]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Just what Panama City needed, a new Scientology ‘Ideal Mission’!
[TWO years ago] A queer story about Scientology, gender, and L. Ron Hubbard’s sweet pile of Swiss cash
[THREE years ago] After pausing to reflect, Marie Bilheimer takes on Scientology’s attack of her ‘Leah Remini’ spot
[FOUR years ago] Attempted murder, a fancy lawyer, and the long path to healing: A Scientology life, exposed
[FIVE years ago] Back in London for the next Scientology summit, featuring Russell Miller!
[SIX years ago] Kelly Preston finally blows away the last of her Scientology space cooties!
[SEVEN years ago] Sunday Special: Remembering Some People Who Mattered
[EIGHT years ago] L. Ron Hubbard Whines (Again) About His Scientology Workload
[NINE years ago] Scientology Officially Probing the Village Voice!
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,088 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,592 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,112 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,132 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,023 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,330 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,198 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,972 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,776 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,092 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,658 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,577 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,745 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,326 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,587 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,625 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,338 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,863 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,393 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,953 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,093 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,413 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,268 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,387 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,743 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,046 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,152 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,554 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,426 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,009 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,504 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,758 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,867 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on October 13, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
October 12, 2020
Bijou Phillips on her husband Danny Masterson: A macho ‘Strong Island’ guy
[Bijou Phillips, on her back patio]
On September 18, Scientology celeb Danny Masterson, 44, made his first appearance in court in a criminal case that has him facing 45 years to life for allegedly raping three different women. And he not only came to court that day in Los Angeles, he brought so many people with him that it caused several hours of disruption in the courthouse.
Sheriff’s deputies eventually allowed Masterson to bring a few people from his entourage into the courtroom with him. Among them was his brother-in-law, actor Billy Baldwin.
Baldwin, 57, is married to Chynna Phillips, 52, who is the half-sister of Masterson’s wife Bijou Phillips, 40.
Bijou wasn’t in court that day, but it’s understandable. She had a life-saving kidney transplant three years ago, and that puts her in the riskier population for Covid exposure.
AdvertisementShe not only wasn’t in court, after her husband was charged with rape, she erased her social media presence entirely, and she’s made no public statements about it.
While we wait for the court case to develop, in our quest to learn more about Danny and the people he brought with him to court that day, we have begun watching the videos put out by his sister-in-law, Chynna Phillips Baldwin.
Chynna’s a YouTuber who shares with her audience her day to day challenges as a born-again Christian, which includes playfully sparring with her more skeptical husband, Billy Baldwin, who does his best to get along with her devotional drive.
On Memorial Day weekend, Chynna recorded one of her episodes with Baldwin while they were at the Masterson house in Santa Ynez, in Santa Barbara County. And we thought it was remarkable because Chynna and Billy speak directly with Bijou about how she perceives her husband, as a controlling “Strong Island” type who fits a kind of 1950s stereotype.
This conversation took place on May 24, almost a year after Masterson had been sued by the women who accuse him of raping them, and only 23 days before Masterson was charged criminally for raping three of the women.
For that reason, we thought the video was an interesting look inside this family that is going through so much at this time. Here’s Chynna’s video, and our transcript of it.
Chynna: Hey guys, I’m in Santa Ynez. Happy Sunday. My sister has a beautiful, outrageous ranch.
Bijou: I do.
Chynna: Isn’t it gorgeous?
Bijou: It’s amazing.
Chynna: And she is the one who introduced me to goat love a couple of weeks ago.
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Bijou: You showed them goat love?
Chynna: Yeah, I showed them goat love. Say hi.
Bijou: Hi.
Chynna: Now she has her daughter in Christian school.
Bijou: I do.
Chynna: I do not have my children in Christian school.
Bijou: It’s a real issue. But I also send her a Christian homeschool because she does homeschool. So hopefully she does that. But we’ll see.
Chynna: I don’t…
Bijou: It’s a really great…
Chynna: I don’t know why…
Bijou: I’ve been emailing with them all day for the past couple days, working at homeschool.
Chynna: And we have a friend moving here from New York and she’s working on getting her daughter in Christian school.
Bijou: Yep.
Chynna: Because you really just believe in it now, huh?
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Bijou: Because it’s just so nice because it’s such a great education and then they’re also getting like the Bible and Jesus and I just like that they’re having all of those experiences and I think that it’s really good foundation.
Chynna: It is an amazing foundation.
Bijou: Yeah.
Chynna: What like broke your heart up into it. What made you feel like, ‘I’m putting my daughter in Christian school’?
Bijou: Well, I’m obsessed with you.
Chynna: Good answer.
Billy Baldwin: Aren’t we all?
Bijou: And so I just do whatever I can to make you happy.
Billy: Wait a second, I thought that was what I — you want to take over the reins? I mean I’ve been at this for 30 years.
Bijou: I feel like I’ve been at this for 40 years, so.
Chynna: Tell them a little bit about your husband and the parallels of my husband and your husband.
Bijou: So our husbands are both from Long Island and they’re both in families with brothers who act, and their moms are both named Carol.
Billy: Both mooks.
Bijou: We got married on their anniversary of dating.
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Chynna: And they both have three brothers.
Bijou: They both have three brothers and they’re both very ‘Strong Island’ guys.
Chynna: And a little controlling.
Billy: That’s what she means when she says very ‘Strong Island.’
Chynna: Yeah.
Billy: Yeah.
Chynna: How would you like us to rephrase ‘controlling’?
Bijou: Strong Island.
Jimmy DeBello: 1950s.
Billy: How would I’d like to, for you to rephrase that?
Chynna: Yeah.
Billy: I have to, well, I just wish that it’s just that, it could go on and on and on right now. I mean this is there’s thousands of different examples of, you know, like when you say, why are you always yelling, and I’m like who’s yelling? It’s like miscommunication. It’s a cultural thing, it’s an East Coast-West Coast thing. Bijou knows because she lived on both coasts. She was raised on the West Coast and on the East Coast, so she knows, like…
Chynna: So when I walk into a room and you say ‘get back in the kitchen’ — what is that…
Billy: It’s so funny, for the first time I was playing this character and Steve and Vance was in the other room and I was playing like, like, I was showing videos to Tyler of Joe Pesci’s performances that’s, you know the scene in ‘Raging Bull’ when Kathy Moriarty overcooks the steak…
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Bijou: Yeah.
Chynna: You don’t know that scene.
Billy: Yes you do. You don’t know the scene where…
Bijou: Which one?
Billy: In ‘Raging Bull’…
Bijou: Yes.
Billy: …when DeNiro’s wife burns the, overcooks the steak in it?
Bijou: Yeah.
Billy: And he’s like, what are you doing, you burning this thing…I gotta watch this scene again so I know the words, but yeah.
Chynna: That was very funny.
Billy: And I was, I was acting it out and then Chynna was saying, you’re being very aggressive, and I was saying stuff like, who asked you? Get back in the kitchen. Hey, you heard me? Get back in the kitchen. Do as you’re told.
Chynna: Do as you’re told.
Billy: The men are talking right now, right? Let the men talk, let the men talk. I’ll let you know. Just get back in the kitchen and Vance was like in the other room on his phone and he heard this and he was like, Hey!
Chynna: He was like, Dad, shut up!
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Billy: Knock it off! And I was like totally playing like DeNiro and Pesci.
Bijou: Right, to Chynna? And Vance got upset.
Chynna: Does Danny get that way with you?
Bijou: See, this is the deal — I’m also from Long Island, so…
Chynna: Oh right, so you give it right back.
Bijou: Yeah.
Chynna: You’re not afraid to get in his face.
Billy: Where I’m from, where I’m from the Irish girls and the Italian girls…
Bijou: That’s how you start making out.
Chynna: That’s how you start making out?
Bijou: It’s called foreplay, Chynna.
Billy: OK, you just took the words out of my, the girls that I…
Bijou: High five, Bill.
Billy: The Irish and Italian girls that I grew up with, if you do that to them it’s like a mating call…
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Bijou: It is.
Chynna: OK, OK.
Bijou: It is.
Billy: It is.
Bijou: It is.
Billy: They’re like, you say some, can I say stuff like this on your show?
Chynna: Of course.
Billy: You’re like, when you’re talking you’re having a conversation you’re calling somebody on bullshit, you’re like…
Chynna: Oh! You can’t say bad words that’s one thing you can’t do.
Bijou: Well there you go.
Billy: Then I can’t tell the story.
Chynna: Beep!
Bijou: Go on.
Billy: Yeah, well when I said that to the girls that I was growing up with, the Irish and Italian girls in Massapequa, Long Island, they were like you know, get the f—
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Chynna: Yeah.
Billy: You’re full of this and you’re full of that and get over your… I’ll show you, I’ll fix you, you know.
Chynna: Right.
Billy: And the beep-beep-beep-beep-beep when we were all 15 and 20 years old.
Chynna: Right.
Billy: But that’s like a cultural thing. If you’re from California and you’re laid back and you’re ‘Ohm.’ And then you throw a born-again Christian on top of that, it’s like I can’t say, I can’t say bad words anymore.
Chynna: No, you can’t. But the Holy Spirit, like if you’re sensitive to the Holy Spirit you really can’t say bad words anymore, it —
Billy: Holy Spirit, activate.
Chynna: California preachin’…
Billy: You’re supposed to turn the camera on you. Let’s go, take two.
Chynna: OK.
Billy: OK. And…
Chynna: Action.
Billy: Rolling, camera. Rolling, and…
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Chynna: Action, say action, Bijou.
Bijou: Action.
Billy: Holy Spirit, activate.
Chynna: Wait, you didn’t do the right rhythm. You didn’t do the right rhythm. You gotta slow it down, you’re doing it too fast, go.
Billy: You missed your cue.
Chynna: Go.
Billy: See, this is what she calls miscommunication, this is what, this is what we’re talking about. OK, cut, cut, cut.
Chynna: Go.
Billy: OK, roll camera…
Chynna: It’s Cal…
Billy: We’re speeding…
Chynna: OK, go.
Billy: I need an action cue. I can’t act without…
Chynna: Action!
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Billy: Holy Spirit, activate.
Chynna: Preachin’…
Billy: The camera’s not on you.
Chynna: Oh sorry I forgot to turn it.
Billy: People, this is what I’m talking about, this is what I’m talking about. It’s called a pan.
Chynna: OK.
Billy: It’s called a reverse pan.
Chynna: OK, sorry. Do it again. OK, try again.
Billy: OK, sound rolling, and turn over
Chynna: I can’t find my cue.
Billy: And action.
Chynna: Go.
Billy: Give you the cue.
Chynna: California Holy — that’s how it has to go, OK, so it’s California…
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Billy: Holy Spirit, activate.
Chynna: California preachin’ — I can’t do it. I can’t do it…
Billy: And what’s your quote, you’re the what, you’re the most talented what in the family?
Chynna: Person?
Billy: Actor. You’re the Oscar winner without the Oscar?
Chynna: Yeah, I am. I’m an Academy Award-winning actress that’s never won her Academy Award. That’s the truth, isn’t it?
Bijou: It’s true.
Billy: Just say action.
Chynna: It’s true.
Bijou: Action.
Chynna: You’re a really good actress too.
Billy: Holy!
Bijou: Thanks a lot.
Billy: Holy spirit…
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Chynna: It starts with me, remember? Hello, no it has to start with me or won’t work because I know, I know beats. California…
Billy: Holy Spirit!
Chynna: Can you do it? Here we go. Ready, and, California…
Billy: Holy Spirit, activate!
Chynna: California…
Billy: We only need to do it once, we only need to do it once.
Chynna: We really blew that one big time.
Billy: We, who’s we, sucka?
Chynna: Look, that’s Molly. Everyone say hi to Molly.
Bijou: Molly’s also called Bernie Sanders.
Billy: Why? I love that.
Bijou: I love it too.
Chynna: Because she looks like Bernie Sanders.
Bijou: Because she looks like Bernie Sanders.
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Chynna: Look at her.
Bijou: Aw, Bernie Sanders, we’re sorry.
Chynna: All right, anybody have anything they want to say, because I’m wrapping it up.
Chynna: You want to pray for us, Beej?
Bijou: No, I’m good. I love you, I love you guys.
Billy: This is what, this is what I don’t like about when you get us on your show. You like throw these things at us…
Bijou: I’ve never been invited on the show.
Billy: We’ve got incredible improvisational chops, but putting us in your Christian show and say ‘lead the prayer,’ it’s like I don’t know if that’s in my repertoire, OK? Especially with the way people…You know the way I, I pray, too.
Chynna: You pray so beautifully, baby…
Billy: But I don’t pray like the way I hear, you know, evangelical Christians pray.
Chynna: Will you just try to lead us in prayer right now? Thank you.
Billy: OK. Well, we’re up here for the — what are you laughing at?
Chynna: Well? You’re going to start it with ‘well’? Can you…
Billy: Well, here we go. Meanwhile, the camera’s on my chin. Is that even…I’ve been going like this the whole time.
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Chynna: I’m dying laughing.
Billy: I’m very excited to be here this weekend with my wife’s…
Chynna: Can you start it with ‘Lord’ or like ‘Jesus’ or ‘Father’…
Billy: I’m learning.
Chynna: OK, here we go.
Billy: Lord God…
Chynna: Yes.
Billy: Here we go. I’m so excited to be here this weekend. We are with Bijou…
Bijou: Hi.
Billy: Come on, it’s…
Chynna: We’re praying Beej.
Bijou: Oh, sorry.
Chynna: OK.
Billy: It’s on me, I’m praying.
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Chynna: Go.
Billy: And I’m very excited to be here to spend time with her, her and her husband Danny and their lovely daughter Fiona and it’s Memorial Day weekend and we have so much to be grateful for and so much to be thankful for — show Bijou — we do have so much to be grateful for and so much to be thankful — this is not a mockery, I’m totally serious, but when I’m around these guys I giggle a lot. They make me laugh a lot…
Bijou: This isn’t actually going on your show…
Billy: Yes, it is. It is. Watch, it’s, they, we’re like Ricky and Lucy, the two of us, I’m telling you. And… You’re just laughing because I don’t know really know how to pray that well, do I? Do you want me to throw like a…
Chynna: You’re doing so good, keep going.
Bijou: Just pray, please. Please continue praying
Billy: I’m excited for Memorial Day weekend and let’s honor those…
Chynna: Amen.
Billy: …that we’re celebrating this weekend…
Chynna: Yes.
Bijou: Yes.
Billy: …who died in combat, that’s Memorial Day.
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks, the series axed by Seven News
In July the Australian Seven News network cancelled at the last minute a ten-part nightly news in-depth investigation of the Church of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks operations. All ten episodes have now been leaked to the Internet, and we’ve collected all ten links in one place. Judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series.
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“I went to a Picasso show one day with a fellow from Greenwich Village. He was wearing a turtleneck sweater and I was wearing a business suit, and everybody who was coming to the Picasso show was dressed in tails and ermine wraps and evening gowns. This was really swell, it was really upstage…I was interested in the neurosis from which Picasso was probably suffering, but more importantly, in why he was doing it. I was coming to the conclusion that it was just a big experiment, as far as he was concerned, whereby he was testing color and design lines. We were going hot and heavy. This artist would say, ‘Oh, but no! There is so much soul! There’s this! There’s that.’ And I would say, ‘No, it just merely looks to me like he’s got a libido complex or something.’ We got up to the second floor, and he and I had such a falling out about one of the paintings that we reached a static, and we were silent for a moment. We happened to look around and we had about fifty people following us along the line of pictures and listening to us. Some of them were trying hard to look very edified. So I got very interested in the people who were watching the Picasso show and took a series of notes. I wrote an article for the New Yorker on it.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 12, 1951
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“When you identify someone you don’t know as a troll who is trained as a ninja, you might give thanks that you are still breathing without the assistance of paramedics.”
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2001: Rob Clark reported that Scientology is promoting a new website which blames the World Trade Centers attack on the psychiatrists. “A new website provides answers to the unnerving question gnawing at everyone’s mind since the recent violent terrorist attacks on America: ‘What sort of person is capable of such evil?’ Two figures who feature prominently in CCHR’s website are psychiatrist and surgeon, Dr. Ayman al-Zawhariri, chief advisor and doctor to Osama bin-Laden, and Ali A. Mohamed, a psychologist who has trained bin-Laden’s terrorist troops in combat and psychological warfare.”
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“I had really bad nightmares when I was young — one was a nightly reoccurring one that lasted almost a year and almost drove me insane. Something about HR Pufnstuf reminds me of those dreams. My dream would start soon as I laid down because in the dream I was still awake lying in my bed. All of the sudden reptilian hands would shoot up from underneath the end of the bed and grab my legs and pull me underneath the bed dragging me at breakneck speed down a hellish tunnel where creatures were living in the walls to meet my arch nemesis King Frog and his henchman Baby Huey. They would torture me for hours laughing and mocking me.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Demurrer filed by Masterson, arraignment delayed to October 19.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY. Jeffrey’s is set for October 24.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for a writ of mandate filed with Cal 2nd Appellate District, Sept 10.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Update required in federal lawsuit on Oct 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Alanna Masterson, Terry Jastrow, and Marisol Nichols]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientology wants your children: The 1957 lecture they think will convince you
[TWO years ago] Dave’s shrinkage: Help us determine turnout for Scientology’s IAS 2018 gala
[THREE years ago] ‘Miss Lovely’ as you’ve never seen her — new photos of Paulette Cooper, war survivor
[FOUR years ago] DRONE FLYOVER FINALE: Getting a close look at Scientology’s secret New Mexico compound
[FIVE years ago] That time Scientology’s Sea Org grunts donned cut-offs and bikinis to fake out L. Ron Hubbard
[SIX years ago] Scientology Sunday Funnies: In valleys near and far, it’s time to stand and deliver!
[SEVEN years ago] TOMKAT PROJECT IN LOS ANGELES: Here’s Your Chance to Help the Show Get to Tinseltown
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology Metaphysics: How Do Thetans Work?
[NINE years ago] Scientology Hates Clean Ice: The “Fair Game” Operation That Should Turn Your Stomach
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,087 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,591 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,111 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,131 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,022 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,329 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,197 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,971 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,775 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,091 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,657 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,576 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,744 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,325 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,586 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,624 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,337 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,862 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,392 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,952 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,092 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,412 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,267 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,386 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,742 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,045 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,151 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,553 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,425 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,008 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,503 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,757 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,866 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on October 12, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
October 11, 2020
Danny Masterson asks to halt civil lawsuit while criminal case is ongoing, as expected
On Thursday Danny Masterson filed a motion to stay a civil lawsuit brought against him in 2019 by Chrissie Carnell Bixler, her husband, and three other women. They’re suing Masterson, the Church of Scientology, and its leader David Miscavige for what they allege is a campaign of harassment since the women went to the LAPD with allegations that they had been raped by the That ’70s Show actor in incidents between 2001 and 2004.
It had been expected that Masterson would ask for the halt to the civil lawsuit because he’s facing a far more serious situation a few blocks away in another courtroom, where he’s been charged criminally with raping Carnell Bixler and two of the women who are suing him, and he’s looking at 45 years to life under California’s “One Strike Law.”
Masterson was criminally charged on June 16 and he’s scheduled to be arraigned and enter a plea on October 19 if his “demurrer” fails (and see yesterday’s story for some idea of why his demurrer is likely to fail). Masterson’s criminal defense attorney Tom Meserau has already told the court that Masterson will plead not guilty if the demurrer fails, and this time Masterson won’t have to be in the courtroom to enter that plea.
We knew it was only a matter of time before the civil lawsuit was shut down, but in the process we’ve learned about some things that were going on behind the scenes which have been spelled out in Masterson’s motion for a stay.
AdvertisementThe documents, for example, reveal for the first time that Jane Doe #1, one of the four women suing Masterson, and who is also known as “Victim B” here at the Underground Bunker, notified Masterson on September 4 that her attorneys intended to take his deposition on October 2.
However, facing 45 years to life there was no way that Masterson could risk sitting for a deposition in the civil lawsuit and potentially testify to things that could then be used against him in the criminal case.
The only question is, why didn’t Masterson ask the court for the stay before he was scheduled to be deposed?
Instead, Masterson objected to being deposed (it didn’t happen) and he didn’t ask the judge for the stay until October 8. Why? Most likely because he wanted to see if Judge Steven Kleifield was going to sustain the demurrer he had filed in the civil case, which would have gotten him out of it entirely. (Yes, he filed demurrers in both the civil and criminal cases, which we pointed out probably cost him some serious coin.)
Judge Kleifield overruled Masterson’s demurrer in the civil case on Tuesday and then Masterson filed for the stay two days later. In his motion, he’s asking for Victim B to pay him a penalty of $9,150 in sanctions, and attorneys fees and costs, because he claims that he was forced to file for the stay as a result of her demand for information. He’s asking for a hearing on his motion in January, but we suspect that a stay will be taken up by Kleifield sooner than that.
Another interesting revelation in the motion filed by Masterson was that Victim B (Jane Doe #1) asked him to turn over any documents related to “Grand Jury proceedings” and also any information about other law enforcement agencies besides the LAPD and District Attorney’s office.
As far as we know, this is the first public reference in court documents to the possibility of a grand jury or to federal interest in the Masterson and Scientology affair.
Further complicating things, the motion Masterson filed also revealed that while he wants the civil lawsuit to be put on ice, the Church of Scientology doesn’t.
“Speaking for my clients, we will not stipulate to a stay of the action against us. We have no objection to the stay that Andrew has requested,” Scientology’s attorney William Forman indicated in an email, referring to Masterson’s attorney Andrew Brettler. (RTC’s attorney Matthew Hinks concurred.)
In other words, the Scientology entities being sued aren’t looking for the civil lawsuit to stop, but they don’t have a problem with Masterson asking for the stay.
Why doesn’t Scientology also want it halted? We’d point to the court calendar, which has a hearing scheduled for October 26. It’s on that date that Judge Kleifield is being asked to rule on Scientology’s motions to force Carnell Bixler, her husband rocker Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and the two Jane Does into “religious arbitration.”
Scientology has already been successful in two previous lawsuits forcing former Scientologists into its internal form of arbitration, and are no doubt anxious to see if they can do the same to Carnell Bixler and the other plaintiffs here.
So now we’ll wait to see what Judge Kleifield does about this. Will he grant Masterson’s request to freeze the lawsuit, will he do it for the entire lawsuit, and will he do it before he is scheduled to rule on the arbitration motions on October 26?
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Here’s the motion that Masterson filed…
Bixler v. Scientology: Mast… by Tony Ortega
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“Now, ‘When did the PC’s physical body change characteristics?’ Getting this out of women, you will have to take the E-Meter and beat them over the head. A woman at 110 will never admit that her body changed anything from that of a beautiful 16-year-old girl, or something like that, you know? It’s just things they won’t talk about, so you have to pull that the hard way. Go ahead and grab it.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 11, 1961
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“I badly broke my right arm in 1997, and the doctors told me it was too big a gap to heal, and I would need a false arm. Anyway they put me in plaster for seven weeks just in case it would heal by a miracle. I had touch assists for several weeks, and when I went back to the hospital, the doctor was amazed to see bone was growing across the gap. My arm was saved!”
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1996: David Alexander reported this week that Scientology has sent private investigators to his ex-wife following his submissions to a judge in Dallas. “A Private Investigator from the church who just arrived in Dallas from LA, said his name was Ted Banis (my spelling) called my ex-wife. He said ‘David is acting up again and making threats against the church. ‘Could I come over and get some information from you?’ Rose called the police and will make a report. But the Dallas Police came out and made an incident report. I pointed out the affidavits reporting what church PI’s have done in the past. I reported the guy’s name, Ted Banis. The policeman gave me a complaint number and his name to refer to for subsequent incidents. I will continue to report every move and every slander against me.”
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“Man-animals, come out of your caves. The Psychlos have deserted the planet. We have won!”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Demurrer filed by Masterson, arraignment delayed to October 19.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY. Jeffrey’s is set for October 24.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for a writ of mandate filed with Cal 2nd Appellate District, Sept 10.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Update required in federal lawsuit on Oct 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Catherine Bell, Chick Corea, and Nancy Cartwright]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientologist on Clearwater downtown board does a classic ‘dead agenting’ of Mark Bunker
[TWO years ago] Dave Richards, 1948-2018, ran the Founding Church of Scientology in DC
[THREE years ago] Tara and Nathan — subjects of last night’s ‘Leah Remini’ — respond to Scientology’s smears
[FOUR years ago] Louis Theroux’s movie comes to Oregon, and Jefferson Hawkins is there to talk Scientology
[FIVE years ago] L. Ron Hubbard’s regressive homophobia: Can Scientology’s celebrities handle the truth?
[SIX years ago] Scientology’s ‘International Justice Chief’ surfaces for the Garcia lawsuit
[SEVEN years ago] HOW SCIENTOLOGY COERCED A CHILD TO HAVE AN ABORTION: THE LAURA DECRESCENZO FILES
[EIGHT years ago] L. Ron Hubbard Explains Your Life “Before Earth”
[NINE years ago] Scientology and Disconnection: “No One’s Going to Take My Eternity Away”
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,086 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,590 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,110 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,130 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,021 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,328 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,196 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,970 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,774 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,090 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,656 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,575 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,743 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,324 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,585 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,623 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,336 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,861 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,391 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,951 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,091 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,411 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,266 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,385 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,741 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,044 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,150 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,552 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,424 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,007 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,502 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,756 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,865 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on October 11, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
October 10, 2020
Read the prosecution’s smackdown of Danny Masterson’s attempt to get out of rape charges
[Masterson at his Sept 18 appearance and prosecutor Reinhold Mueller]
On September 18 Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson appeared in court for what was scheduled to be his arraignment on criminal charges that he’d raped three women, all of whom were Scientologists when the incidents occurred. He is facing 45 years to life in prison.
Masterson’s attorneys Tom Mesereau and Sharon Appelbaum filed a “demurrer” that day, objecting to the case on legalistic grounds and delaying the arraignment to October 19. The next day we posted Danny’s demurrer in full, showing that Masterson was arguing that the alleged incidents, which occurred in 2001 and 2003, were each past the statute of limitations.
In a new document we have for you, Assistant District Attorney Reinhold Mueller takes apart Masterson’s demurrer, explaining how the crimes are not out of statute because Masterson is being charged under California’s “One Strike Law” for sexual offences, qualifying because there are multiple victims. Under the One Strike Law, Masterson is facing an indeterminate sentence — 45 years to life — and when that’s the case, there is no statute of limitations.
Sex crimes prosecuted pursuant to the One Strike statute under Penal Code 667.61 are punishable by an indeterminate term. Indeterminate or life offenses carry no limitation period pursuant to Penal Code 799(a), which provides in relevant part: “Prosecution for an offense punishable by…imprisonment in the state prison for life…may be commenced at any time.” Therefore, for crimes punished by an indeterminate term, there is no statute of limitations as in the case at bar.
Mueller methodically dismantles Masterson’s brief, arguing that the demurrer cited case law that didn’t apply. He also addresses Masterson’s argument that he should escape the charges because they have taken so long to be brought against him, saying that Masterson would have to prove that the delay had been intentional, and was designed to harm him, but that he hasn’t done that. And since he hasn’t done that, the judge should ignore Masterson’s call for an evidentiary hearing.
AdvertisementMueller’s filing seems no-nonsense and direct. Masterson’s reply to this document was due yesterday, and the ruling is scheduled for Oct 19. If the judge agrees with Mueller and overrules Masterson’s demurrer, the actor will then enter a not guilty plea, but he won’t have to be in the courtroom this time.
As always we’re looking foward to your thoughts on this document…
People v. Masterson: Opposi… by Tony Ortega
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Jon Atack talks to Ron Miscavige
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SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks, the series axed by Seven News
In July the Australian Seven News network cancelled at the last minute a ten-part nightly news in-depth investigation of the Church of Scientology and its history of dirty tricks operations. All ten episodes have now been leaked to the Internet, and we’ve collected all ten links in one place. Judge for yourself why Tom Cruise and Tommy Davis might not have wanted viewers to see this hard-hitting series.
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“Have you ever run a sperm sequence? It doesn’t have any energy in it either but it has all the energy there is in it. Have you ever seen anybody lying on the couch in the sperm sequence, and seen his feet start to swing sideways in an impossible motion? He says, ‘What am I doing?’ The energy which is generating that was of the magnitude necessary to wiggle the tail of something which is only visible in a microscope. And yet this fellow is wiggling his whole body on this tiny, tiny amount of energy.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 10, 1951
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“I would have to say I was quite neurotic and numb from many years of drug use and alcohol. I took a personality test and read Dianetics and found why I had asthma and allergies for most of my childhood years. That compelled me to dedicate my life more and more to study, first as a public and then on staff. I made gains every step of the way. There is so much to learn and study and big actions to address your case. First the ability to study and detox off drugs and alcohol with a Purification Rundown. You can choose how you learn but for me I dedicated intense study and case handling by joining staff and for 10 months completely studied and twinned up with others to learn practical training. I guess some are afraid to look into their minds and traumas in life. Scientology is a discipline to learn how to study clear words and to become more intelligent. I know it is the reason I love to help others now. I became a much better individual and ethical and now also I know I can learn any subject I choose to and my interests in life have expanded greatly. It is a Science.”
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2002: The Associated Press reported on October 7 that the annual U.S. State Department on International Religious Freedom again criticizes Germany for alleged mistreatment of Scientologists. “Some local authorities and private firms in Germany use ‘sect filters’ focused on the U.S.-based Church of Scientology in hiring and contracting, a new State Department report says. ‘These practices give rise to a climate of discrimination and may cause financial losses for individual companies, the department’s 2002 report on international religion said. It was released Monday. The report said the federal property office has barred the sale of some real estate to the Scientologists, noting that the Finance Ministry has urged that such sales be avoided if possible.”
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“I lived through 70’s Punk, early 80’s hardcore, late 80’s alternative, and whatever passed for a scene in the first half of the 90’s, and most of my friends from those time periods are dead. But at least they had some really good times before their number came up. I don’t think Scientologists can say the same.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Demurrer filed by Masterson, arraignment delayed to October 19.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY. Jeffrey’s is set for October 24.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for a writ of mandate filed with Cal 2nd Appellate District, Sept 10.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Update required in federal lawsuit on Oct 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
——————–
Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Erika Christensen, Ethan Suplee, and Juliette Lewis]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Nancy Cartwright tops $17 million as Scientology celebrates its whales
[TWO years ago] Scientology’s cruise ship the Freewinds: Why OT 8 needed to be delivered off-shore
[THREE years ago] Here’s how Scientology tried to keep you from seeing tonight’s episode of ‘Leah Remini’
[FOUR years ago] One of Scientology’s new Narconons got inspected — and turned up one surprising result
[FIVE years ago] Another minor omen of the coming Scientology apocalypse appears in Florida
[SIX years ago] Vance Woodward’s lawsuit dismissed as judge grants Scientology’s anti-SLAPP motion
[SEVEN years ago] OOPS: Government Shutdown Stalls EEOC Lawsuit Against Miami Scientology Chiropractor
[EIGHT years ago] Why Tom Cruise Can’t Quit Scientology
——————–
Scientology disconnection, a reminder
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,085 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,589 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,109 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,129 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,020 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,327 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,195 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,969 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,773 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,089 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,655 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,574 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,742 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,323 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,584 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,622 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,335 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,860 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,390 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,950 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,090 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,410 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,265 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,384 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,740 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,043 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,149 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,551 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,423 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,006 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,501 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,755 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,864 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 10, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
October 9, 2020
SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS, Episode 10: Bryan Seymour wraps up his series axed by Seven News
‘The Reckoning,’ the tenth and final episode of ‘Scientology Black Ops,’ a special 7NEWS Australia investigation that was cancelled by the network in July, has been leaked to the Internet.
All ten episodes were scheduled to be published to the 7NEWS website on July 14 when the network changed its mind, cancelled the program, and also pulled down a trailer it had made for the series. On August 31, we found that the first episode in the series had been leaked, and we embedded it along with a transcript we prepared. We also did the same for the second episode, ‘Witness X,’ on Sept 4, the third episode, ‘Taken,’ on Sept 11, the fourth episode, ‘The Star,’ on Sept 14, the fifth episode, ‘Always Attack,’ on Sep 17, the sixth episode, ‘Dirty Tricks’ on Sept 21, the seventh episode, ‘Celebrity,’ on Sept 27, the eighth episode, ‘Betrayal’, on Sept 30, and the ninth episode, “Accused”, on Oct 5.
We’ve done the same for the tenth episode, in which 7NEWS reporter Bryan Seymour wraps up what has been a stunning achievement in reporting and presentation.
Here’s the video, and then the transcript. (For those confused by the length of these short “episodes,” please keep in mind that this was a nightly news investigation and these segments were created to run during a news broadcast, not as longer shows on their own.)
Advertisement
Episode title: The Reckoning
Bryan Seymour: What about the people watching this thinking oh well he’s had two years, he hasn’t done an interview. Of course he’s coming out now, he’s had time to prepare this performance to defend himself, to say he’s not defending himself, to reject any of the allegations, and to suggest that it’s all some master plot by Scientology. What would you say to the people watching this who are deeply cynical?
Paul Haggis: I don’t want them to believe me. I don’t want them to believe me. Honestly, I don’t care. I want to prove my innocence in a court of law. I’m really uncomfortable doing this with you, really uncomfortable. I don’t want to be here doing this.
Seymour: Why are you doing it?
Haggis: Because you’ve told me and others have told me that there is compelling evidence that something is happening here that’s bigger. And I don’t want that happening to me and I don’t want it happening to others, because I don’t want to be a cautionary tale.
Seymour: Paul Haggis will get his day in court. His accuser Haleigh Breest’s civil action in New York is due to go to trial, though it may not be until next year. A potential day of reckoning for one of them.
Tony Hitchman: In Scientology, what is good and bad? Does it conform to the normal moral standards of society?
L. Ron Hubbard: Oh yes, very much so. Very much so. Same.
AdvertisementLeah Remini: You train in Scientology, day in, day out, two and a half hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year for all of your life to “confront” the planet and to solve all man’s ills. And yet you cannot even be in the same room with somebody who is telling the truth about your cult.
Seymour: Yep. Yep.
Remini: Does that say something? They’re supposed to be able to confront and shatter evil, but they cannot sit in a room with their own fathers, their own mothers, and that just goes to show you that Scientology does not work.
Seymour: Where do you hope to be five years from now?
Haggis: Well I’d like to say here, but I’m selling this place. So, I want to be back being able to write, being able to tell stories, to be able to, I love doing that, something I’ve wanted to do since I was a kid. And I miss that terribly right now. But I truly, I want my family to be able to be proud of me. Now I know they are, I know they’re very proud of me for standing up. They always have been. They continue. But I can’t help feeling very guilty for all this, and for them. I mean, they’re, what they have to live with right now, that shouldn’t be the case.
Seymour: Thank you for talking to me, Paul.
Haggis: Thank you for coming and doing this.
Seymour: All right.
Haggis: I only half regret it.
Seymour: No worries. Good on you, man.
Haggis: Thank you.
AdvertisementSeymour: If Scientology’s behind this, does Haleigh Breest or the accusers, do they know they’re being exploited? Is Scientology not involved in this at all, are they legitimately telling the truth? Again, these are all matters that all of these people, I’m interviewing have strong feelings on. But it’s not my job to resolve them or prosecute that case. Certainly a lot has already been reported in the media by Ms. Breest’s lawyers. They have not shied away from dropping to the press, from commenting and putting their argument forward. What I’m doing is reporting the story I can confirm. The events that we do know about, that we have confirmed, what do the people involved in Scientology say about it? Why did you do that? Did the celebrities know? Now that they do, what do they think about it? I’ve done so many stories and there have been so many exposes on Scientology, I’d like to think this one will call the crazy game to order. When are we going to step in and say no more?
Remini: We’re just not in a time, now, where it’s OK not to do the right thing. You have to do something. You have to do something about it.
Seymour: It’s the hope of everyone who’s suffered abuse at the hands of these people, that very soon that sign will come down and this group will be out of action. Hopefully the day of reckoning is very near. It’s long overdue. Hopefully, this will be something we don’t see in five or ten years, Scientologists on Hollywood Boulevard trying to rope in new victims.
Hubbard: Well it’s very interesting. The more you try to help man physically, why they, apparently, the less progress you make.
SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS
Episode 1: ‘Leaving’
Episode 2: ‘Witness X’
Episode 3: ‘Taken’
Episode 4: ‘The Star’
Episode 5: ‘Always Attack’
Episode 6: ‘Dirty Tricks’
Advertisement
Episode 7: ‘Celebrity’
Episode 8: ‘Betrayal’
Episode 9: ‘Accused’
Episode 10: ‘The Reckoning’
——————–
“Anderson, Q.C., Melbourne inquiry. Complete gibbering psychotic idiot. Up to the gills with R-6. ‘Scientology must be wrong, because we cannot explain where all the new bodies come from. All the new spirits. Where would all the new spirits come from if everybody had a spirit, why, where would all the new spirits come from, huh?’ Actually, what he didn’t realize, this silly ass — he was disproving Catholicism. Catholicism claims there’s one spirit per body, so he was asking some silly little kid question that is asked of his own religion, Catholicism. And yet he was busy hanging Scientology because it couldn’t… You get the irrationality of it? The man occupies a perfectly valid position. He’s looked on. He’s a Queens’ consulate. Actually he’s just a gibbering idiot. You probably couldn’t even catch him to get a straight jacket on him.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 9, 1968
——————–
“I did some paranormal abilities training before knowing about Scientology. I remember one of the first paranormal detections I did many times about Scientology: I detected that it would degrade and degenerate; but I didn’t expect it would happen so soon. I’m glad that even though the Church of Scientology has been degraded, there are people outside the church doing sane and good Scientology.”
——————–
1997: The battle to keep the Xenu Leaflet available on the Web continues, as attacks from Scientology are reported by Andreas Heldal-Lund. “The cult lawyers have attached a print-out from the front page of Operation Clambake. They have erased the name ‘XENU’ from the printout, now it says ‘The ____ Leaflet’. Then it’s the rest of the letter from my lawyer. And I don’t understand how a highly respected law firm like Haavind & Haga can take on a job for such a shabby organisation like this ‘church’. Has it gone totally unnoticed by the law firm what kind of tragedies this ‘church’ has given people? I will do my part to make it as hard as possible for this ‘church’. My goal is to close down this con man organisation in Norway once and for all.'”
——————–
“This place is nuts, but not half as nuts as YouTube. It’s just a little bit more serious and astute and friendly.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Demurrer filed by Masterson, arraignment delayed to October 19.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY. Jeffrey’s is set for October 24.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for a writ of mandate filed with Cal 2nd Appellate District, Sept 10.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Update required in federal lawsuit on Oct 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
——————–
Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Stacy Francis, Jason Dohring, and Anne Archer]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] CLEARWATER APOCALYPSE! No, not really. But let’s help Scientology run its new board
[TWO years ago] What it was like last night at Scientology’s Los Angeles TV ‘season’ premiere party
[THREE years ago] BLOCKBUSTER EXCLUSIVE: It turns out the National Enquirer is blowing smoke again
[FOUR years ago] EXCLUSIVE: Recent deaths of Scientology rehab staffers points to ongoing problem
[FIVE years ago] The Scientology-Ireland connection that propelled Cathriona White to Hollywood
[SIX years ago] Ryan Hamilton files two more federal lawsuits against Scientology’s drug rehab network
[SEVEN years ago] Anonymous and Craigslist: Proof that Scientology Knows It’s Under Attack
——————–
Scientology disconnection, a reminder
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,084 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,588 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,108 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,128 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,019 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,326 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,194 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,968 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,772 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,088 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,654 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,573 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,741 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,322 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,583 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,621 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,334 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,859 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,389 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,949 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,089 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,409 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,264 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,383 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,739 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,042 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,148 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,550 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,422 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,005 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,500 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,754 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,863 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 9, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
October 8, 2020
The Top 25 People Enabling Scientology, No. 13: Google and other tech titans
On September 6, 2014 — six years ago, an eternity in Internet time — Sea Org lifer Brandy Harrison, the “Building Expansion Director Int,” got up in front of a crowd of Scientologists in the San Fernando Valley who had paid $100 each to be there and told them that their church had already received $5.7 million in advertising grants from search giant Google.
We managed to obtain an audio recording of her remarks that night about the way Scientology’s relationship with Google had developed.
In the Bay Area a representative of Google was introduced to Scientology and our 4th dynamic campaigns through the Stevens Creek Ideal Org. This representative connected us up with the department responsible for non-profit advertisements. And as a result, Google awarded us a $10,000-a-month grant for free online advertising.
But that’s not all because Google looked into the responses that we were getting from this advertisement, and they increased that grant to the Truth About Drugs and Way to Happiness campaigns, to $40,000 a month.
AdvertisementBut that’s not all. The second man, now with established Google teams solely for the Church of Scientology, suggested that we might want to extend the same grants to some of our Class V orgs around the world. We applied, and now today, every Ideal Org in the United States has $10,000 a month of free online advertising.
[Crowd: wild applause]
In fact, in total so far, we have had $5.7 million in Google grants already approved for our 4th dynamic campaigns in United States Ideal Orgs.
What Brandy Harrison didn’t say in her speech was that Google was willing to hand out millions in free advertising because Scientology was spending millions more for it, year in and year out. Scientology pours money into the Internet at a prodigious rate.
However, there’s no question that Scientology was very slow initially to take advantage of cyberspace. L. Ron Hubbard liked to compare the human mind to primitive early computers, but he didn’t foresee the Internet, and he died in 1986, years before the online experience began to reach into our homes. And once its members finally did begin venturing online, there was nothing from “Source” about it, and the church was very nervous.
Scientology famously sent out CD-Roms to its members in the 1990s that, without their knowledge, installed a program on their computers that kept them from looking at certain websites containing prohibited search terms.
This “net nannie” got so much press coverage at the time, to this day there’s a persistent myth about Scientology that its members are not allowed to go online at all.
Scientology’s Sea Org workers are usually too busy to go online and often don’t have access to computers anyway, but for the majority of church members, the ones who don’t work for the church, their lives are spent online as much as the rest of us.
Yes, Scientologists use Google and Facebook and all the rest, and the “Net Nannie” isn’t really needed: Scientologists are very good at policing themselves and staying away from websites like the one you’re reading right now. Scientology is a snitching culture, and Scientologists know that they can be turned in by a family member if they dare to sneak a peek at news about Scientology or watch a Leah Remini TV episode.
If their migration online was delayed, Scientology today has developed strong relationships with tech giants like Google which facilitate Scientology’s “Fair Game” campaigns against its perceived enemies by hosting ads that slime Leah Remini, Mike Rinder, Ron Miscavige, your proprietor, and many others. Those campaigns are also running endlessly on Twitter and Facebook, companies that don’t seem to be shy about taking Scientology money.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that most people in the public seem to understand that Scientology lies about everything, and so the slimy things it puts on Twitter or that it puts in Google searches about its enemies is largely ignored. But we can tell you as a target of these campaigns, it is not fun to hear from people that they’ve stumbled on a scummy Google ad or an anonymous website dedicated to making one sound like a criminal.
Will the tech giants ever stand up to Scientology and begin to use their influence to stop the Fair Game attacks? It’s hard to tell. The money is just too good, apparently.
The Top 25 People Enabling Scientology
Advertisement
13: Google and other tech titans
14: The Los Angeles Times
15: Jeffrey Riffer
16: James Packer
17: Louis Farrakhan
18: Mark “Marty” Rathbun
19: Wally Pope
20: Gensler
21: Parents who subscribe to ABCMouse
22: Graham Norton and other celebrity strokers
23: The apologist academics
24: Rebecca Dobkin and other low-level PI grunts
25: DirecTV and filmmakers buffing Dave’s channel
Advertisement
——————–
“These memory recordings aren’t passed along from cell to cell. They could be, but they are not stored as electrical energy. You start examining this any way you want to and you will find that there isn’t an energy in the physical universe — at least which we know about — which has a small enough wavelength to store memory recordings. Oddly enough, this was a discovery I made in 1932 when I was in atomic and molecular physics at George Washington University. I made an exhaustive study of the matter. There aren’t wavelengths small enough; physical scientists would know that. The boys fooling around in medicine would not know it because they don’t know the laws of energy, and as a consequence they have postulated, as the best postulates which they can offer, that memories are stored in punched protein molecules. That is cute!” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 8, 1951
——————–
“This planet is hungry for help, peace and tolerance. When Christianity came along and offered that in a barbaric and cruel world it grew like mad. Scientology, with its unbelievable tech to help, spread like wildfire. As Ron pointed out Christianity made the huge mistake of becoming intolerant and attacking others. And our Church under DM has become utterly intolerant and attacks people of goodwill. DM has joined the ranks of the WFMH and any government allies of naming us, real Scientologists who are helping others, as his enemies! SPs do not want others to be helped! We are very fortunate to have the full tech of helping others and the full tech of spotting and handling those who would stop us helping others.”
——————–
1998: Bob Minton reported on additional harassment by Scientology of his former business partners. “A 14-page DA pack was delivered to my former partner, Jeff Schmidt, and the Nigerian Minister of Finance in Washington, D.C., this week during the IMF meeting. The DA pack was sent by Peter Franks, a private investigator for the Church of Scientology working out of England, and was no doubt hand-delivered by OSA personnel at the DC org. A leaflet [was] handed out during pickets at the home of Selwyn Lewis, my other former partner in Capetown, South Africa. In this latest ‘Trash the Critics’ operation, the Church of Scientology has said that the mere act of not providing them with information about me makes Mr. Lewis a dishonest businessman who lacks principles.”
——————–
“Not all of us are rich enough to afford cable and some of us think it’s a wasteland.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Demurrer filed by Masterson, arraignment delayed to October 19.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY. Jeffrey’s is set for October 24.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for a writ of mandate filed with Cal 2nd Appellate District, Sept 10.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Update required in federal lawsuit on Oct 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
——————–
Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Jenna Elfman, Giovanni Ribisi, and Greta Van Susteren]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientologists will face trial after judge cites ‘sophisticated fraud’ scheme
[TWO years ago] With Scientology TV premiering a new ‘season’ tonight, David Miscavige is having a moment
[THREE years ago] Guelph quest: Scientology sets up temporary shop in Canadian town and faces stiff opposition
[FOUR years ago] Atack: The forgotten history of disproving Scientology’s status as a “religion”
[FIVE years ago] For some reason, news sites are keeping quiet about who found Cat White’s body. So here he is.
[SIX years ago] EXCLUSIVE: Scientology didn’t want you to see this letter it sent to the San Francisco Chronicle
[SEVEN years ago] LEAH REMINI AND TOMMY DAVIS WILL BE DEPOSED IN SCIENTOLOGY LAWSUIT
[EIGHT years ago] Your Thoughts on The Master: Who Was Freddie Quell?
[NINE years ago] Scientology Symposium: Commenters of the Week!
[TEN years ago] Daniel Montalvo, 19, Leaves Scientology, Which Convinces LA Sheriff to Jail Him For It
——————–
Scientology disconnection, a reminder
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,083 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,587 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,107 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,127 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,018 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,325 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,193 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,967 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,771 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,087 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,653 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,572 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,740 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,321 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,582 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,620 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,333 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,858 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,388 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,948 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,088 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,408 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,263 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,382 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,738 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,041 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,147 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,549 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,421 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,004 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,499 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,753 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,862 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 8, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
October 7, 2020
First look at ‘Brothers Broken,’ a Scientology documentary that features the Bunker
Geoff Levin suprised us and made available the trailer for his upcoming documentary, “Brothers Broken,” which takes a devastating look at the effects of Scientology’s toxic “disconnection” policy.
Geoff and his brother Robbie were founding members of the 1960s rock band PEOPLE! that had a hit with their 1968 single “I Love You.” But just as that song was breaking big, they joined Scientology and then even joined the Sea Org, working as musicians to help spread the L. Ron Hubbard gospel.
It destroyed the band and eventually destroyed the relationship of these two talented brothers from San Jose, California. Robbie got out of Scientology by the early 1980s, but Geoff stayed in and even increased his dedication to the church, which included cutting off all ties with his brother.
Eventually, Geoff’s loyalty to Scientology turned him into a virtual hermit suffering intense depression and suicidal thoughts. But then one day, everything changed.
Advertisement“We’re not completely finished with the film, however it is finished enough to submit to Sundance,” he tells us. “The film is also tied in with our band PEOPLE!’s new album, the first in 50 years. I think it’s a different approach to telling the truth about Scientology. My experiences corroborate those who have gone before me. And I appreciate their work. And first and foremost I am grateful I ran into the journalist at the Village Voice who first exposed me to L. Ron Hubbard’s lies.”
Geoff’s return to sanity and the eventual reunion with his brother makes for a powerful film, and with its background in the 1960s music scene and Geoff’s involvement in Scientology’s Celebrity Centre, this is one of the most unique takes we’ve seen on the subject.
And yes, full disclosure, your proprietor and this website play a small part, and we’re humbled that Geoff and Robbie included us.
“The Bunker has been so supportive,” he says, and we certainly have enjoyed how much the commenting section here was a big part of this story at the time.
Take a look at the trailer, and let us know what you think.
——————–
Lawsuit by Danny Masterson’s rape accusers passes early hurdle
Yesterday Judge Steven Kleifield shot down arguments by Danny Masterson and the Church of Scientology regarding the lawsuit filed by four of Masterson’s rape accusers, overruling the two “demurrers” they had filed to try to derail the case.
Masterson’s demurrer was designed to get him removed from the lawsuit. He also wanted references to the rape allegations removed from the harassment lawsuit, and he wanted the two Jane Does suing him to identify themselves. One of Masterson’s key arguments was that he wasn’t personally being blamed for any particular act of harassment against the women, but instead is being accused of acting in a conspiracy against them. Also, he argued that the women were improperly joining together to sue him when they were alleging different things at different times and in different places.
But Judge Kleifield turned away each of those arguments. He said that the women could sue together, that Danny could be sued as an agent of the church in the campaign against the women, he refused to take out the language about the rape investigation, and he said a demurrer was not the proper place to argue against the Jane Does using their fictitious names.
Scientology made similar arguments in its demurrer against Bobette Riales, the only one of the women suing who was not formerly a Scientologist. Kleifield sustained both demurrers in regards to Bobette, but gave her 20 days to make changes to the lawsuit that would fix the problem. (Like, for example, alleging acts of harassment in Indiana in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.) So as long as Bobette’s attorneys make those changes, then she will remain in the lawsuit, making it a near total sweep for the plaintiffs in yesterday’s hearing.
AdvertisementThe only thing the judge upheld for Masterson was an argument regarding the women being able to sue for attorneys fees and treble damages, which the judge denied. But we anticipate that these lawsuits are going to continue to evolve over time — especially if Masterson is found guilty in his criminal case — and what specific damages the plaintiffs will be entitled to may also evolve.
We’re going to post both rulings by the judge. They’re long because he is very carefully restating the arguments on both sides. We find that Judge Kleifield is a thorough and conscientious judge who takes this case very seriously, unlike his colleague Judge Burdge, who handled Valerie Haney’s lawsuit against the church.
The ruling largely overruling Danny Masterson’s demurrer…
Bixler v. Scientology: Dann… by Tony Ortega
The ruling overruling Scientology’s demurrer…
Bixler v. Scientology: CSI … by Tony Ortega
——————–
“How do you run a grief charge? Take him to the beginning of the moment when the incident first occurred….This goes way back on the track to a thing called, evidently, the Weeper — salt water. And for about half a million years man was having a hell of a time trying to rush into the waves long enough to get some food and rush back to get some air. And he didn’t have anything with which to rush. And it was, and it was very frustrating. So frustration winds up in spilling salt water. He had a couple of little tubes and he pushed these out of the shell and he’d pump like mad trying to pump out all the salt water. You run a preclear on this and it’s just fabulous.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 7, 1953
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“Recently I blocked a woman because she was using plain Black Scientology on me. I felt quite relaxed after blocking her.”
——————–
1999: The Dark Horizons website carried a description from the set of Battlefield Earth this week, the movie in production based on a book by L. Ron Hubbard. “I had reservations about this movie, Battlefield Earth based on a book written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and of course with Travolta’s involvement, one has to think Is this an attempt to mainstream Scientology beliefs into our movie theaters? But after reading the B.E. script (revised and revised, I might add!) and researching this L. Ron Hubbard person, I found that this movie is based on a great science-fiction story! L. Ron Hubbard it seems was a ordinary writer way back in 1930’s, writing 1000’s of stories for pulp magazines, mostly science fiction. The religion of Scientology didn’t seem to get started until later in his life, and it seems just a way to make money! Scientology does have a website for this movie WWW.BATTLEFIELDEARTH.COM. I rank this new B.E. movie somewhere between Planet of the Apes and Star Wars.”
——————–
“I had a dream I was L. Ron Hubbard and I was wearing a cape, sitting on a throne, with a bevy of teenage beauties sitting at my feet.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Demurrer filed by Masterson, arraignment delayed to October 19.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY. Jeffrey’s is set for October 24.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for a writ of mandate filed with Cal 2nd Appellate District, Sept 10.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Update required in federal lawsuit on Oct 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
——————–
Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Elisabeth Moss, Michael Peña, and Laura Prepon]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] As Scientologists face another day in L.A. court, we have a bizarre twist to the case
[TWO years ago] Exploiting Tony Bourdain’s suicide or giving out weird massages, Scientology never rests
[THREE years ago] Scientology is hacked off that Luis Garcia and attorney will appear on ‘Leah Remini’
[FOUR years ago] What’s the worst that can happen when you sue Scientology? Here’s one frightening example.
[FIVE years ago] A secret Scientology wake, a ‘Snow White’ link, & more odd twists emerge in the Cat White story
[SIX years ago] Comedy gold: Mark Ebner catches Scientology cheating with Sarah Silverman
[SEVEN years ago] U.S. SUPREME COURT DENIES SCIENTOLOGY IN FORCED-ABORTION LAWSUIT
[EIGHT years ago] How You Can Help Raise Money for Narconon’s Legal Defense!
——————–
Scientology disconnection, a reminder
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,082 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,586 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,106 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,126 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,017 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,324 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,192 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,966 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,770 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,086 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,652 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,571 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,739 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,320 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,581 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,619 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,332 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,857 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,387 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,947 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,087 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,407 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,262 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,381 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,737 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,040 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,146 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,548 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,420 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,003 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,498 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,752 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,861 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 7, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
October 6, 2020
Danny Masterson’s attempt to get out of rape accusers’ lawsuit to be heard today
It’s another big day for Danny Masterson at Los Angeles Superior Court today, and we hope to bring you an eyewitness account from the hearing as soon as it’s possible.
Today Judge Steven Kleifield is scheduled to rule on Masterson’s “demurrer” which the actor filed in an attempt to get himself dropped from the civil lawsuit which was filed by four of his rape accusers. The Church of Scientology also has a demurrer on the table, which could get plaintiff Bobette Riales removed from the case. But first, the hearing will open with a case management conference that could end up stealing the show today.
Riales, Chrissie Carnell Bixler, her husband rocker Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and two women going by the names Jane Doe #1 and Jane Doe #2 filed their lawsuit against Masterson, the church, and its leader David Miscavige in August 2019 and an amended complaint in February. The lawsuit alleges that since the women came forward to the LAPD in 2016 with rape allegations against the Scientologist actor they have been subjected to an ongoing campaign of harassment by Scientology that has included the death of two dogs, the poisoning of another, and an arson attack on Riales’s Indiana house.
Scientology and Masterson have denied the allegations and have called the lawsuit a publicity stunt. In June, Masterson was charged criminally with raping three of the plaintiffs — Carnell Bixler, and the two Jane Does — and his arraignment has been scheduled for October 19. (In the criminal case he has also filed a demurrer, asking the charges to be dropped.)
AdvertisementScientology’s strategy in the civil lawsuit has been to file motions to compel the four of the five plaintiffs who are all former Scientologists (all except Riales) to submit to the church’s “religious arbitration,” and those motions will be heard on October 26. Scientology is arguing in those motions that the former Scientologists signed contracts that obliged them to take their grievances to the church’s internal justice system and not to sue. But those plaintiffs didn’t sign contracts with Masterson, and so that’s why he’s taken another tack and filed the demurrer. Such a filing doesn’t argue the facts of the case but instead targets the legal justification for it.
——————–
Gay Ribisi is selling everything
It’s like déjà vu all over again. Back in 2014, one of our most popular stories was about our friend and fellow journalist Mark Ebner happening to run across a pile of Scientology mementos and plaques discarded in a pile on Wilshire Boulevard.
It turned out to be keepsakes of the Scientology career of Gay Ribisi, matriarch of a powerful Scientology family that includes such luminaries as her son, actor Giovanni Ribisi, and his twin sister Marissa, who was married to musician Beck at the time.
One of the plaques sitting in the trash pile, for example, commemorated Gay being named “Patron with Honors,” which she would receive after giving $100,000 in donations to Scientology’s membership organization, the IAS.
What were Gay’s treasured Scientology relics doing on a rubbish pile? We never got a satisfactory answer to that, as Gay never took up Ebner on his offer to return them to her.
And now, it’s Ebner again who has tipped us to a stunning estate sale going on in Los Angeles. And this time, it’s like Gay Ribisi is selling everything.
An ardent photographer, Gay is selling her expensive cameras and other equipment. And she’s selling portraits like this one of her famous son…
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And this looks like a couple of paintings of Jason Lee…
And there’s also a series of fancy underwater photos that Gay exhibited in 2004 (and you can see in the photo above Vonni and Danny Masterson with her at the show’s opening)…
And a lot of other stuff, including furniture, coins, and jewelry.
We’re asking our sources to find out what they can. Is Gay all right? She’s a longtime Hollywood manager who used to handle her son, and today her clients include fellow Scientologist Elisabeth Moss. With Moss’s recent successes, shouldn’t Gay be rolling in dough?
Does Vonni know his mother is liquidating? What’s the deal?
Advertisement
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Leah Remini podcast: Mark Vicente
Leah Remini and Mike Rinder provide a real treat this week for you viewers who have been watching the HBO series about Nxivm, “The Vow.” Mark Vicente is not only a key figure in the series, he was also a key witness in the federal trial that Dianne Lipson covered for us last year.
Mike and Leah talk to Vicente about the parallels between Nxivm and Scientology, which became very clear in the HBO series. Another excellent podcast episode from this mighty duo, and we have it for you to listen to right here…
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“Little boy is a kick. My little girl requires interest to be kind of generated by the vicinity. You know? It’s got to be heavy matter and that sort of thing. She’d get interested. Yes, she’s very alert and very interested. But this little boy, her brother, is practically an Operating Thetan. And he is a fabulous little character — not just because he’s my son, of course — but he’s a fabulous character in that he’s always exteriorized. You walk past his room — his door is closed, you see — in the middle of the night and he’ll do a flip-flop on his bunk, bang! and he’ll be right up there scratching on the door saying, ‘Hey, say hello,’ you know, that sort of thing. You open the door and say, ‘Hello, Quentin,’ and he’s real happy.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 6, 1954
——————–
“So, you are STILL ‘thinking’? Hahaha. Still creating your mind? Hahaha. I just finished OT IX. Lafayette’s Tech is super-laser-fast!! AND I am not ‘thinking it’. I KNOW IT. How about that?”
Advertisement
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1995: Cynthia Kisser reports the Cult Awareness Network’s loss in a civil suit to Scientology lawyer Kendrick Moxon, representing Jason Scott, accusing CAN of kidnapping. “A jury verdict was delivered in U.S. District Court in Seattle, following a six-day trial. Scott was represented at trial by Kendrick Moxon, a minister with the Church of Scientology International, a long time adversary of CAN that had tried unsuccessfully to win dozens of lawsuits against CAN in the past. Moxon was an unindicted co-conspirator in the federal investigation of Scientology in the seventies that lead to the felony convictions of 11 of its high-ranking members, including Mary Sue Hubbard, the wife of Scientology founder the late L. Ron Hubbard.”
——————–
“Man, my groovy shark vid got no votes, but my simple-minded off-the-cuff remark got top vote. You people are weird.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Demurrer filed by Masterson, arraignment delayed to October 19.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 29 in White Plains, NY. Jeffrey’s is set for October 24.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for a writ of mandate filed with Cal 2nd Appellate District, Sept 10.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 5 (Serving Miscavige by publication), Oct 6 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Update required in federal lawsuit on Oct 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
——————–
Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[The Big Three: Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and Kirstie Alley]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] For you doubters, here’s proof of Scientology miracles that demonstrate the power of ‘OT’!
[TWO years ago] In the Sea Org, under suspicion: ‘I accepted that I was, in Scientology terms, an ethics particle’
[THREE years ago] This new image of David Miscavige makes years of Scientology Watching all worth it
[FOUR years ago] Chris Shelton dives into Scientology culture with the Larisa Smith story, part two
[FIVE years ago] CATHRIONA WHITE WAS MARRIED TO SCIENTOLOGIST MARK BURTON
[SIX years ago] A Bunker Exclusive: Jonny Jacobsen’s 2008 book introduction describing Scientology
[SEVEN years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology’s Shiny New Freedom Magazine!
[EIGHT years ago] Another Narconon Lawsuit, Oregon Dentist to Fight Order, and More Scientology Links
[NINE years ago] Scientology Raided, Smacked Down in Court, and Accused of Killing Trees
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,081 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,585 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,105 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,125 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,016 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,323 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,191 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,965 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,769 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,085 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,651 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,570 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,738 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,319 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,580 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,618 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,331 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,856 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,386 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,946 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,086 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,406 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,261 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,380 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,736 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,039 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,145 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,547 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,419 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,002 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,497 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,751 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,860 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 6, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
October 5, 2020
SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS, Ep 9: Director Paul Haggis responds to a lawsuit’s rape allegations
‘Accused,’ the ninth episode of ‘Scientology Black Ops,’ a special 7NEWS Australia investigation that was cancelled by the network in July, has been leaked to the Internet.
Ten episodes were scheduled to be published to the 7NEWS website on July 14 when the network changed its mind, cancelled the program, and also pulled down a trailer it had made for the series. On August 31, we found that the first episode in the series had been leaked, and we embedded it along with a transcript we prepared. We also did the same for the second episode, ‘Witness X,’ on Sept 4, the third episode, ‘Taken,’ on Sept 11, the fourth episode, ‘The Star,’ on Sept 14, the fifth episode, ‘Always Attack,’ on Sep 17, the sixth episode, ‘Dirty Tricks’ on Sept 21, the seventh episode, ‘Celebrity’ on Sept 27, and the eighth episode, ‘Betrayal’, on Sept 30.
We’ve done the same for the ninth episode, in which 7NEWS reporter Bryan Seymour puts it to director Paul Haggis directly: Did he rape Haleigh Breest?
Here’s the video, and then the transcript. (For those confused by the length of these short “episodes,” please keep in mind that this was a nightly news investigation and these segments were created to run during a news broadcast, not as longer shows on their own.)
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Episode title: ACCUSED
Scientology Attack Video: Haleigh Breest came forward with explosive allegations against him, of assault and rape.
Bryan Seymour: Paul, did you rape Haleigh Breest?
Paul Haggis: Of course I didn’t. No.
Seymour: Why would she make that up?
Haggis: It’s a good question. I don’t know. You know, obviously, you get accused of doing something like that and you know you didn’t do it, I know where I was, I know it was a one-night stand. I know what happened.
Seymour: It was here.
Haggis: It was right here, right here. It was five, six years ago now. I know it was. But…you know, am I proud of having a one night stand? No. I’ve had them a few times in my life and I’m not proud of that. Am I a perfect person in this way, not at all. But do I rape people? Did I rape her? No, of course, of course I did not. I don’t know why people make things up, why they say things that aren’t true, or convince themselves of things that happened that didn’t happen. I don’t know. I can’t tell you.
Seymour: Did Paul rape Haleigh Breest?
Deborah Rennard: No. Absolutely not. No question in my mind.
Seymour: And how can you be so certain?
Rennard: Because I know who Paul is. And I’ve seen, I’ve known him for 27 years. I’ve seen him in every situation you could be in. I mean, I was married to him. We lived together for six years and then we were married for another 13. He was, he has, like I said, he’s bent over backwards to help women in the business. What she’s saying happened is ridiculous. I mean just, everything she’s said, I went, I don’t buy it. I don’t buy it at all, on any level.
Seymour: In December 2017, a publicist named Haleigh Breest filed a civil action alleging Paul Haggis had raped her in 2013, when she was 26 years old. She claimed she met the director at a function, and he invited her to his New York apartment. He claims they had consensual sex. She claimed he forced himself on her. Ms. Breest claims you said to her, ‘You’re scared of me, aren’t you?’ As though you had some sort of misogynistic, violent, sexual approach to her. Did you say that?
Haggis: No, of course I didn’t. I have to be a little careful here because there’s a confidentiality order in place which I really wish wasn’t in place. But in order to have the trial proceed two years ago, we had to sign a confidentiality order. So, assuming that what you’ve learned you’ve learned in public, I can respond to it. But…I would so wish that they would just release the text messages, release the mails, release everything because it proves my innocence, absolutely proves my innocence.
Seymour: He claims sealed documents, including texts and emails sent by Ms. Breest in the days after their encounter prove it was consensual. But her lawyers are fighting to keep the documents under seal. They say they are typical of a victim in denial.
Priya Chaudhry My name is Priya Chaudhry, I’m the founding partner of Chaudhry Law, and I represent Paul Haggis.
Seymour: How confident are you those emails and texts will exonerate Paul and prove that Paul Haggis did not rape anyone?
Chaudhry: A hundred and ten percent.
Seymour: Why are you so certain?
AdvertisementChaudhry: There’s behavior of people who are the victims of crime that is consistent. And there are behaviors of people who are not the victims of crime that’s consistent. And the behavior and the evidence that her own lawyers are desperately trying to make sure nobody sees before trial is what we really want the world to see, both at trial and before trial. And once people see that, they will see with their own common experience that this did not happen the way Haleigh Breest says it happened. It happened the way Paul Haggis says it happened.
Seymour: Three more women, all anonymous and claiming to have no links to the Church of Scientology, also came forward, speaking through lawyers alleging they too were victims of sexually inappropriate conduct by Paul Haggis.
Haggis: The two women have alleged that I kissed them, and one from 26 years ago alleged that I’d raped her.
Seymour: Again, why would they come forward, albeit anonymously, and make these claims against such a high-profile person unless they were true.
Haggis: I have no idea. I honestly have no idea. All I know is they aren’t true. That’s what I know. Now, have I misread signals in my life? Absolutely. I’ve, have I tried to kiss somebody and had them turn their cheek? Have I misread a signal like that? Absolutely I’ve done that. I don’t know any man who hasn’t. I’m certainly guilty of that. Have I attacked somebody, have I forced something, tried to kiss someone, have I raped someone? No.
Seymour: Unlike other prominent #MeToo cases, none of Haggis’s accusers have made complaints to police. His case has been conducted in the court of public opinion, where he made his name and where it can be destroyed.
Chaudhry: So in New York State there’s two ways to have a rape charge. One is somebody goes to the police and then the prosecutor evaluates the case and decides whether or not to charge them in a criminal case of rape. That never happened here. The other way is a person can go to a civil court and file a case and sue someone. Anyone can sue anyone in this country, and you can sue them and say that they raped me. And you can ask the court then to give you money.
Seymour: Haggis claims Haleigh Breest initially asked him for $9 million to stay quiet. She’s not known to be a Scientologist. The other three accusers were recently removed from the case in a precedent-setting ruling that the alleged rape can be heard as a hate crime against women, the first under a new New York law. Ms. Breest and the other accusers are being represented by legal firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady. This law firm bills New York rates, and in the Paul Haggis case, that’s likely to be in the millions.
Chaudhry: If I had to estimate, from the time that they filed this lawsuit against him to now, I would say their legal fees, just doing some rough math on their hours would be in the millions, somewhere north of two million, south of five million?
Seymour: In a statement Ms. Breest’s lawyers told us, “In this case if Paul Haggis loses, he will be required to pay our attorney fees and costs. Firms like ours take on these cases when we believe in our client and the case, as we do here. You can read their full statement on our website. Scientology denies emphatically that it has anything to do with it. But the church has certainly reveled in the allegations, posting numerous commentaries and videos online.
Scientology attack video: Rushing to Haggis’s defense was Leah Remini and co-host Mike Rinder.
AdvertisementSeymour: You both came out straightaway and said you believed Scientology is behind the allegations against Paul Haggis. Do you still believe that?
Leah Remini: Yep.
Mike Rinder: Absolutely. There is no question in my mind, Bryan.
Rennard: This is completely absurd, you know. I mean, you could accuse Paul of a lot of things, but being a rapist is not one of them.
Seymour: Deborah Rennard wrote a public letter supporting her ex-husband, arguing some of the claims made against him were factually wrong.
Haggis: When I read your letter…I don’t cry…
Rennard: I know you don’t. But Paul you deserve it. This is the thing. You, that’s why I wrote that letter, because you are always the champion for every underdog.
Rinder: And, you know, I told you, and I started telling you, this is what’s going to happen next, and here’s what’s going to happen next, and this is what’s going to occur. And that is exactly what happens. And why do I know that, it’s not because I’m a clairvoyant, it’s because I’ve studied the policies that these people are operating on.
Remini: You just gotta, you gotta get through this part. This is the part that Scientology banks on you not making it through this part.
Haggis: Well, they’re doing a pretty good job so far.
Remini: No, but Paul, and this is what I was telling, what we were telling Bryan earlier, is the purpose of it is to take away all of your support, right? Financially. Eventually, you will recover.
AdvertisementHaggis: Yeah.
Seymour: What do you personally believe. Do you personally believe that Paul Haggis is innocent?
Chaudhry: A hundred percent. Yes.
Seymour: Can you say that about all of your clients?
Chaudhry: No.
Title card: NEXT
Haggis: There is compelling evidence that something is happening here that’s bigger.
Remini: You have to do something. You have to do something about it.
——————–
In court today: Serving Miscavige by publication
AdvertisementAt Los Angeles Superior Court this morning, Judge Steven Kleifield is scheduled to make a ruling on whether Danny Masterson’s rape accusers can serve Scientology leader David Miscavige their lawsuit by publication as a last resort. They first filed their lawsuit in August 2019 against Masterson, Miscavige, and the church, alleging that the defendants have subjected them to a campaign of harassment since 2016 when they came forward to the LAPD. Since that time they say that Miscavige has been evading service. Miscavige’s attorneys argue that the women just haven’t tried hard enough to catch him.
Tomorrow an even more important hearing is scheduled when Masterson’s demurrer will be heard, which is his attempt to get out of the lawsuit.
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“The most serious barrier that an auditor has to overcome in Security Checking is not necessarily his own case, but a courage in asking . . to ask the questions. You know, that’s kind of a raw, mean, brassy sort of a thing to do. You sit down. Here’s this nice young girl. Everybody knows she’s a virgin. Everybody knows this. And you’re in very good ARC with her and everything is going to go along fine. And then you say to her, crassly and meanly, ‘Have you ever committed any carnal sins of any character or another? Have you ever been to bed in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong man?’ And put it mildly, this is a startling question. But since I’ve started security checking, I haven’t found any virgins.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 5, 1961
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“You can’t measure time in years to another universe, it’s another universe outside the time reference of this universe. So basically incident zero occurs in this universe and that’s it. It’s out-ethics to evaluate incidents to run. The processes quite simply run a person into a network of implant stations which programs people into cycles of action operating across the entire tone scale.”
——————–
1995: An essay by Jon Atack, “Hubbard and the Occult” was posted this week. “Scientology seems to be a hybrid of science-fiction and magic. Hubbard’s reflection on philosophy seem to derive largely from Will Durant’s Story of Philosophy (13) and the works of Aleister Crowley. Aleister Crowley is surely the most famous black magician of the twentieth-century. It is impossible to arrive at an understanding of Scientology without taking into account its creator’s extensive involvement with magic. The trail has been so well obscured in the past that even such a scholar as Professor Gordon Melton has been deceived into the opinion that Hubbard was not a practitioner of ritual magic and that Scientology is not related to magical beliefs and practices. In the book A Piece of Blue Sky, I explored these connections in detail. The revelations surrounding Hubbard’s private papers in the 1984 Armstrong case in California makes any denial of the connections fatuous. The significance of these connections is of course open to discussion.”
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——————–
“It will take a Snowball of Theta to save the planet from the Hairball of Entheta that is growing bigger in Basement Cat’s belly by the day.”
——————–
Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Demurrer filed by Masterson, arraignment delayed to October 19.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 5 in White Plains, NY, but asking for a 3-week postponement. Jeffrey’s is set for October 24.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for a writ of mandate filed with Cal 2nd Appellate District, Sept 10.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 5 (Serving Miscavige by publication), Oct 6 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Update required in federal lawsuit on Oct 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Alanna Masterson, Terry Jastrow, and Marisol Nichols]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
——————–
THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Fight Scientology, and you can end up paying the price for years and years
[TWO years ago] Buried in US archives, a stunning indictment of Scientology and prediction of the future
[THREE years ago] Never before seen: Video of a woman moments after achieving superhuman Scientology powers
[FOUR years ago] DRONE FLYOVER: Scientology’s secret saucer-looking underground vault in Northern California
[FIVE years ago] VIDEO LEAK: Scientology’s New Year’s Eve 2006, when Leah Remini was still a front-row celeb!
[SIX years ago] Sunday Funnies: Scientology wants your child, even if it’s not yet born!
[SEVEN years ago] Claire Headley Gets Us Prepped for Scientology’s OT Levels!
[EIGHT years ago] Oregon Dentist Ordered to Pay $348,000 After Pressuring an Employee to Attend Scientology Symposium: The FULL Order!
[NINE years ago] Johnny Depp and Vanity Fair: Confused About Scientology, Or Just Trolling?
[ELEVEN years ago] Google and Twitter Slow To Take Down Slanderous Impersonation of a Scientology Critic
——————–
Scientology disconnection, a reminder
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,080 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,584 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,104 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,124 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,015 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,322 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,190 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,964 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,768 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,084 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,650 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,569 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,737 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,318 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,579 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,617 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,330 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,855 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,385 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,945 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,085 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,405 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,260 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,379 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,735 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,038 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,144 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,546 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,418 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,001 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,496 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,750 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,859 days.
——————–
Posted by Tony Ortega on October 5, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
October 4, 2020
Scientology once again confirms our estimates for its tiny size
Oh, Dave, you did it again.
We want to thank the tipster who sent us the most recent issue of International Scientology News. In recent years, ISN has emerged as the biggest, glossiest snoozefest put out by the church as David Miscavige has turned it into the print version of his interminable event speeches.
But this issue (number 79) was slightly more interesting because it consists of Dave congratulating himself for his coronavirus response (and included the photo above), but also because once again Scientology has provided proof that our estimates of its tiny size are right on the money.
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First, we’ll show you a few pages that celebrate the way Dave pounced on the pandemic as a public relations opportunity. Livid that the March 13 L. Ron Hubbard birthday celebration was canceled by the health crisis, Miscavige issued special “Bulletin #88,” calling the pandemic “planetary bullbait” and ordering Scientologist to protect the orgs over anything else.
Dave then seized on basic advice that public health organizations had already been putting out for weeks — wash your hands, stay six feet apart, etc. — and pretended that Scientologists actually care about medical advice when most of them actually don’t accept germ theory and consider the coronavirus a hoax. Entire forests have been cut down so Miscavige can put out booklets with basic Covid advice, and Scientologists have handed them out around the world, hoping that people mistake them for some kind of government effort.
After months of this playacting, Dave is ready to soak up the accolades from the faithful…
Meanwhile, things are gradually reopening at the orgs, and it’s time to head on down and don’t forget to bring a wheelbarrow full of money…
The issue also contains numerous success stories from Scientologists who weathered the pandemic by staying at home and reading L. Ron Hubbard. Of these, the one we found notable was by Condusiv Technologies (formerly Diskeeper) founder Craig Jensen…
Retracing the Path
Craig Jensen is a New OT VIII who completed the Routes to Knowledge at the beginning of the year. When the lockdown struck, he hit the Books and Lectures again and offers this advice to all.
I have completed a chronological study of all LRH materials — all that LRH has written or recorded about Dianetics and Scientology that is publicly available. A study of all the materials is calming, comforting, confidence-building and exteriorizing. Stress is not a problem when you know exactly what to do about it. During these times my suggestion for everyone is this: Let’s all be calm, be in communication and help others to stay calm. Above all, when the you-know-what hits the fan, turn to Source. Study LRH Books and Lectures — regularly, and wherever you are. That’s what I’ve always done, in good times or challenging times, ups or downs, nothing comes between me and my study of LRH Tech. I try to do it every day, no matter what. I’ve looked to LRH for the solutions in my life because what rings true for me is that Scientology is senior to life. I urge every Scientologist to know and use all of Scientology to handle your life. LRH makes it very clear that you will remember the tech if you have studied it. He believed in us and gave us everything we need to make it for this life and all eternity.
But the best thing in the magazine was an advertisement for the Sea Org. Take a look at it, and perhaps you’ll see why it has us nodding in agreement…
Can you see what Miscavige has done here? He’s confirmed our estimates for Scientology’s actual size.
You see, Scientology has lied for decades that it has “millions” of members. We have pointed out many times that the organization has never had that many active members. It may have reached about 100,000 people in the late 1980s following a massively successful Dianetics television advertising campaign, but it’s been shrinking ever since then, and our current estimate is that there are only about 20,000 Church of Scientology members around the world.
Of that, we’ve guessed that about 3,000 to 5,000 are hardcore Sea Org members, the people who sign billion-year contracts and work 365 days a year of David Miscavige, at pennies an hour.
Well, this advertisement just revealed exactly how many Sea Org workers Scientology claims that it has, which works out to 1 Sea Orger for every 1,181,818 people in relation to the total population of Earth, at 7,802,093,142.
Doing the math, that comes to 6,602 Sea Org employees.
We figure that’s probably a little on the high side, but at least it’s the right order magnitude, a four-figure number that is a small but significant percentage of the overall number of Scientologists, probably somewhere around 20,000.
Thanks for that confirmation, Dave.
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Bonus items from our tipsters
Dipping into the Scientologist social media streams again…
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“I don’t know whether parts of the body will rebuild or not. Auditors have hazarded that and they’re working on it. They’re trying to figure it out, trying to get the third tooth to grow where a tooth’s been pulled, trying to get this to happen and that to happen and trying to get a finger to grow, something like that. People’s limbs have lengthened two, three, four inches; their spines have lengthened, their height’s grown. And I’ve seen places on the body fill in where chunks had been pulled out. But I haven’t seen a whole limb grow, or I haven’t seen half a limb grow, I mean, and complete itself and be a full limb again. I don’t know. Possibly something to do with structural pattern or the bud or something has to be implanted along the line or something. One of these days we’ll find out what that is and then we’ll all have two heads.” — L. Ron Hubbard, October 4, 1953
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“Some folks said that LRH never conceived of the Internet. Well, he was still alive when computer networks were already in existence, and governments had sent digital transmissions across the country long before that. So why would LRH announce future communications technologies when those concepts had already been in the scope of design since the 60s? So Berners-Lee came up with something practical along that line around the late 80s. Where do some people think LRH came up with the term ‘Terminal’ from? Does he need to get more specific?”
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2002: The Times: “When it comes to the Internet’s history, the real power-brokers are proving to be the lawyers – and especially those employed by the Church of Scientology. Last week the internet’s biggest digital archive became that much smaller after Scientology lawyers insisted that it remove pages created by the organisation’s critics. Those running the archive did so with barely a murmur, proving yet again how effective the church’s legal threats can be in undermining free speech. The archive, known as the Wayback Machine, keeps snapshots of millions of old web pages – a remarkable resource available to anyone free of charge at web.archive.org. But last week, researchers looking for pages taken from anti-Scientology sites such as Xenu.net were told that they were no longer available ‘per the request of the site owner.’ In fact, the demand had come from the church alone, on the ground that copyrighted material contained within these sites put them in breach of the controversial US Digital Millennium Copyright Act.”
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“J&D is hard. Anybody can write something serious and emotional and get all the upvotes. We comedians are the true artistes.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Demurrer filed by Masterson, arraignment delayed to October 19.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay’s sentencing is set for October 5 in White Plains, NY, but asking for a 3-week postponement. Jeffrey’s is set for October 24.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Next pretrial conference set for Jan 12 in Los Angeles
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition for a writ of mandate filed with Cal 2nd Appellate District, Sept 10.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: Oct 5 (Serving Miscavige by publication), Oct 6 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 26 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Update required in federal lawsuit on Oct 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Second amended complaint filed, trial set for Nov 9, 2021.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, awaiting verdict.
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
[Catherine Bell, Chick Corea, and Nancy Cartwright]
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] For $100, Scientologist sorcerer will share secret of living to 150 (and we have the secret!)
[TWO years ago] Scientology has its whales — and now the Underground Bunker does too!
[THREE years ago] Is Scientology’s notorious prison detail — the ‘RPF’ — a thing of the past?
[FOUR years ago] Pam Bondi thrills at Scientology’s mecca, Hungarian TV bends over, & other updates
[FIVE years ago] Meet the young Hollywood types who introduced Cathriona White to Scientology
[SIX years ago] Jon Atack: How to talk to a Scientologist to plant the seeds of doubt
[SEVEN years ago] WORLD PREMIERE: The Shrinking Cult of Scientology, A Video By Tiziano Lugli
[EIGHT years ago] Mark Bunker Speaks, and Atlanta Burns
[NINE years ago] Philip Boyd, Saving Grace Actor, Rips “The Business That Is Scientology”
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Scientology disconnection, a reminder
Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,079 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,583 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,103 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,123 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,014 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,321 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,189 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,963 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,767 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,083 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,649 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,568 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,736 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,317 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,578 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,616 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,329 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,854 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,384 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,944 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,084 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,404 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,259 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,378 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,734 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,037 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,143 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,545 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,417 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,000 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,495 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,749 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,858 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on October 4, 2020 at 07:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
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