Caroline McKuen never thought she’d reach out to a site like ours, but she wasn’t sure where else to turn. To help us understand, she sent a shaky video of a church service where a woman on stage was cutting off a man’s toes in front of a live audience. Oh, she got our attention.
There is no line of succession. When Hubbard died, Miscagive muscled others out of the way. In a totalitarian organization, the most ruthless succeeds. Hard to predict who would do that if Dave is out of the picture.
We keep an eye on the wealthy donors #Scientology fetes each autumn in England. But leader David Miscavige held an additional 'Patrons Ball' in LA for the New Year’s Event, and a new issue of Impact magazine also lists other new donors. What a bonanza of rich space cadets!
Appellate court justices asked pointed questions of both sides at yesterday’s oral arguments hearing in the civil lawsuit between Danny Masterson’s victims and the Church of #Scientology. ALSO: Even after opening its gleaming new cathedral the Puerto Rico 'org' begs for cash
Today in LA, the civil suit filed by Danny Masterson’s victims alleging years of harassment by the actor and #Scientology has a hearing before 3 appellate justices. It’s the 2nd time the case has been in this court, and like last time it will be streamed online. Watch it with us!
It’s been a long time since we had the latest hype video out of #Scientology. The point of them is to get Scientologists to ignore the extreme fundraising and harsh ethics and get back on the Bridge. These videos are strictly not for the general public and it’s pretty obvious why.
For our subscribers, our weekly Group Therapy podcast is out, and you can hear Alex Barnes-Ross explain the behind-the-scenes goings on that caused #Scientology leader David Miscavige to pause his UK expansion plans temporarily. Oh, that Alex! tonyortega.substack.com/p/group-ther...
And now, a word from Leah Remini about the March 11 special comedy fundraising event for the Michael J. Rinder Aftermath Foundation! Read Leah's very serious message about why it's important to join the fun and have a laugh at #Scientology's expense.
Although he left #Scientology more than a decade ago, actor Jason Lee proved to be very touchy about it in a fabulous new profile of him by Nate Rogers for Defector. And that reminded us of our own encounter with him some 15 years ago. Why so sensitive, Jason?
The new OT Phenomena are here! For years we've enjoyed reading the ghost stories #Scientology passes off as evidence of superpowers gained on the 'Operating Thetan' levels, which take years to complete and hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for. It's mind over money!
75 years ago today, readers of the Los Angeles Examiner found a very odd story waiting for them on page five of their daily paper. Take a trip with us as we recall one of the strangest episodes in #Scientology history, when founder L. Ron Hubbard kidnapped his own wife and child!
Just a few days ago we highlighted #Scientology’s focus on the children of existing members as one of the few areas where it has any recruiting success. Here’s another example, a 17-year-old extolling the virtues of getting trained as an auditor. Let us translate.
Wow, that was fast. #Scientology posted its slide show last night after Sunday’s “Ideal Org” grand opening in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was the usual thing, with church leader David Miscavige presiding, and we were curious who else he managed to corral for the event.
Some images and videos have begun popping up on social media after yesterday’s grand opening of #Scientology’s new 'Ideal Org' in San Juan, Puerto Rico. And yes, church leader David Miscavige did make the scene, as we expected!
Was it the newts? The bats? We’re not sure which of the objections raised to #Scientology’s plans for its UK headquarters was too much, but David Miscavige has put those plans on a temporary hold. ALSO: A new Ideal Org today in Puerto Rico, and we say goodbye to Fredrick Brennan.
Jon Atack welcomed me for a discussion about our recent story about the #Scientology death of Romey Beliles.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Gc...
On March 3 the public gets a chance to watch as the lawsuit filed by Danny Masterson’s victims has a crucial hearing. And on Thursday the court gave notice that it's considering monetary sanctions on Boies Schiller partner John Kucera, who is representing the Jane Doe victims.
As we’ve been taking a look at the connections between wealthy Scientologists and the White House, what timing for this new image. It’s some of #Scientology’s most well known figures at Mar-a-Lago. Did these power thetans get the chance to meet with the president this weekend?
Joy Villa shared a bombshell with us this week, an email from #Scientology mega-donor Craig Jensen who claimed he'd arranged a tour of Scientology's spiritual headquarters for Charlie Kirk, and gave him a booklet that Kirk said 'saved his life.' What's in that booklet, anyway?
As a Boston-area musician who’s been around a few decades, I’ll tell you this: everyone has an Evan Dando story. Nobody is surprised by any of this.
And as someone in recovery, I’m gonna need folks to stop making this solely about his substance abuse issues. This behavior is entirely separate.
We continue to see evidence that #Scientology is struggling to recruit new members, especially the young. But it does try, and we thought you'd want to see some of the 'success stories' the church has posted recently, featuring youngsters just beginning their journey.
Since our story that a reader asked for help after Lemonheads frontman Evan Dando sent his wife unwanted explicit videos, Dando has gone into rehab, the Lemonheads canceled a summer tour, and now two more women tell us Dando was sending them unwanted images for years.
"the list of donors at [Turning Point USA] is private... But we do know about a couple of Scientologists that are funding TP USA because they haven’t been quiet about it."
Don't it figure.
open.substack.com/pub/tonyorte...
Candace Owens has claimed one of Turning Point USA’s 'bigger donors' is a Scientologist. This excited some speculation from the media that she didn't name names. But we do know about a couple of major #Scientology donors funding TP USA because they haven’t been quiet about it.
It’s always interesting to see major media take on #Scientology, and put in so much care as in the film that aired last night in France. We especially dug the Xenu sequence, the best since Alex Gibney’s HBO movie 'Going Clear' and its OT 3 telling in 2015. We have screenshots!
Finally above freezing. Central Park beckoned.
At #Scientology’s New Year’s Event leader David Miscavige announced that the new 'Ideal Org' in Puerto Rico would have its grand opening in February. Now we have a date, and we expect Dave to be there in person! ALSO: New close-up photos of Dave's floating Caribbean cathedral!
Even more bad news for #Scientology's expansion plans for its UK headquarters. Local governments and non-profit organizations are not so amenable to its plans to pave over ground in a place that features ancient woodlands and local fauna. Alex Barnes-Ross has the details!
We've finally reached the end of briefing in the appeal that has slowed down Leah Remini’s 2023 'Fair Game' lawsuit against #Scientology. The two sides have been trading jabs in filings, and now, Leah has put in a final reply brief, and we have the entire thing for you.
One of our readers reached out to us asking for help: His wife, he said, had been sent unwanted videos from Evan Dando that showed the Lemonheads frontman masturbating. We have the unsavory details. ALSO: Bijou Phillips needs a new kidney and is asking for the public's assistance.
