November 23 in Scientology history

With Mary celebrating David's birthday Leah and I were very happy to welcome Mary Kahn to the podcast this week. Hers was one of the most compelling episodes on The Aftermath - telling the story of her breaking away from scientology after completing OT VIII and the fallout with her family. The airing on Netflix has put her in the spotlight once again.

Tags: 1963, A History of Man, ASHO, Bruce Hines, Dianetics, Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin, Hy Levy, Mary Kahn, Netflix, OT, OT 7, OT VIII, Quicky, Scientology and the Aftermath, Solo NOTs, Tampa Bay Times, Tony Ortega

Last year, German publishing giant Bauer sold In Touch magazine to American Media Inc., the company that owns the National Enquirer. The sale of a supermarket tabloid from one company to another probably didn't mean anything to the vast majority of its consumers, but we can remember spending a long time on the telephone a few years ago with a smart and competent In Touch journalist who truly wanted to understand Scientology's relationship to its celebrities and what that meant for Tom Cruise and his daughter Suri. When the ensuing story came out, it showed a respect for the truth. Sadly, that's no longer the case. The most recent issue of In Touch now demonstrates the really dishonest trick that its sister publications love to play on readers (and that we're surprised its readers seem to put up with).

Tags: 1953, American Media Inc, Beck Hansen, Bob Duggan, Catholic, Clearwater, Danny Masterson, David Miscavige, East Grinstead, England, Flag Land Base, Florida, Forbes, Int Base, International Association of Scientologists, John Travolta, L. Ron Hubbard, Leah Remini, Mace-Kingsley Ranch, National Enquirer, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Tampa Bay Times, Tom Cruise, Tracey McManus, Trish Duggan, Valerie Haney

Scientology has been desperately trying to generate some goodwill in Clearwater. They are advertising on local radio for people to watch ScientologyTV (you can bet that isn't working)... They are sponsoring Tweets every day like this one.

Tags: Clay Irwin, Clearwater, Facebook, OT, Quicky, Twitter

Nasty Nathaniel's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKwQIZHN3gwC37xdVPO-h6Q ?? Nasty Pink Tour ?? On this day we stopped by the brand new Scientology Org in Detroit Mi to see if they respect our First Amendment right to record the building.

Tags: Detroit, First Amendment, Quicky

We're very glad to see that the CBS program 48 Hours is taking on the bizarre story of Casey Kasem's final days, and that they appear to be taking seriously the work done by a private investigator on behalf of Jean Kasem — work that has revealed new facts so troubling, a Washington state police chief announced this week that he has opened a new look at the legendary radio DJ's 2014 death. Jean sent us the same documents when her investigator, Hank Foresta, put them together more than a year ago. Some of the material he had dug up about the Kasem family drama was simply stunning. But it was a huge undertaking — Foresta's document package was hundreds of pages long — and we never got the chance to dig into it the way we had wanted to. However, we did look into one crucial part of it, and we hope and expect that CBS will also dig into it in their episode tomorrow night.

Tags: 2014, 2015, California, Casey Kasem, Donald Sharman, Gig Harbor, GQ, Hank Foresta, Hospital, Jean Kasem, Judge Jennifer Forbes, Julie Kasem, Kerri Kasem, Kitsap County, Kitsap County Superior Court, Las Vegas, Liberty Kasem, Mike Kasem, Private investigator, Quicky, Santa Monica, Seattle, Silverdale, St. Anthony Hospital, Volunteer Ministers, Washington

CLEARWATER — A company run by Moises Agami, developer of the Skyview condo tower and part of a family that is one of the Church of Scientology's largest donors, recently purchased $16.4 million of property on and around Cleveland Street, putting him in control of a major swath of downtown. Agami's company CBW Management bought nearly all the downtown holdings of longtime owners Terry and Anna Tsfatinos on Nov. 16, according to Pinellas County property records. Almost all of Agami's purchase borders the nine-story, all glass Atrium office tower at 601 Cleveland St., one of a half-dozen downtown properties Scientology leader David Miscavige bought last year for a retail project he later rescinded. The portfolio includes a dozen storefronts that make up most of Cleveland Street's southern 600 block; storefronts at 425 and 519 Cleveland St.; a trio of storefronts at 514 Park St. directly to the west of the Atrium; and a parking lot and office building behind the Atrium on Park Street.

Tags: 2012, 2016, 2017, Amanda Thompson, Ben Shaw, Bill Horne, Capitol Theatre, Clear, Clearwater, Clearwater Main Library, Cleman Agami, Cleveland, Cleveland Street, Community Redevelopment Agency, David Miscavige, Diego Jafif, Elias Jafif, Gina Clayton, Mexico, Moises Agami, Pinellas County, Quicky, Tom Cruise, Tony Ortega

Tags: Quicky, Regraded Being

Tony Ortega today did a piece on singer Stephen Ridley coming out publicly as a Scientologist. Just exactly who is Stephen Ridley? A quick check shows he worked as a junior investment banker at USB but left banking to pursue his passion for music. The Financial Times reported earlier this year that Ridley has launched his own cryptofund:

Tags: 2017, Bob Duggan, Financial Times, Grant Cardone, International Association of Scientologists, Music, OT, Panama Papers, Quicky, SEC, Stephen Ridley, Tony Ortega

Over the years, the Church of Scientology has produced many music videos and songs to inspire, electrify and fleece Scientologists out of their hard-earned money. This video from 2011 has never been leaked before and so as a holiday treat, here it is. CHECK OUT MY SENSIBLY SPEAKING PODCAST: website: http://sensiblyspeaking.com

Tags: 2011, Music, Quicky

Over the years, the Church of Scientology has produced many music videos and songs to inspire, electrify and fleece Scientologists out of their hard-earned money. This video from 2011 has never been leaked before and so as a holiday treat, here it is.

Tags: 2011, Music, Quicky

Danny Masterson's long-time publicist appeared to suggest that a woman cannot be raped by a man she is in a relationship with as she defended the actor against allegations from his ex-girlfriend. In October 2016, publicist Jenni Weinman was on the phone with one of four women who say Masterson, 41, drugged and raped them in the early 2000s - accusations he strongly denies. They were discussing the allegations of Chrissie Bixler, Masterson's former girlfriend who had just tweeted that he raped her while they were dating in 2001.

Tags: 2000, 2001, 2016, Bijou Phillips, Chrissie Bixler, Danny Masterson, Huffington Post, Jenni Weinman, Knowledge Report, LAPD, Quicky, Sexual assault

Why should every American stand for the National Anthem? Because the Anthem and the flag represent America, and America is a free nation. That alone is worth standing for. Joy Villa, singer, songwriter, and recording artist, explains.

Tags: 2016, Amazon, Dennis Prager, Facebook, Joy Villa, Martin Luther King, San Francisco, Twitter

There have been articles on President Trump wanting to revoke Scientology's tax exempt status. Here is the original article of how Scientology became tax exempt in the first place. March 9, 1997 Scientology's Puzzling Journey From Tax Rebel to Tax Exempt

Tags: 1950, 1954, 1967, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, Ally, Ben Shaw, Boston, California, Caribbean, Christian, Church of Scientology of California, Church of Spiritual Technology, Congress, Criminal, Critic, David Miscavige, Donna Moore, E-meter, Fair Game, Fred Goldberg, Freedom magazine, Freedom of Information Act, Germany, Holocaust, Internal Revenue Service, International Scientology News, Jack Anderson, Jewish, Klaus Kinkel, Los Angeles, Marty Rathbun, Mary Sue Hubbard, Maryland, Mission, Monique Yingling, NBC, New York Times, Nicholas Burns, Paul Streckfus, Pennsylvania, Private investigator, Quicky, Richard Behar, Scientology lawyer, Scientology staff, Snow White Program, Tax, Tax Analysts, Tax exempt, Time magazine, Tom Cruise, US Department of Justice, US Secretary of State, US State Department, Washington, Waterford, West Virginia, Williams & Connolly, Xenu

Please the story this video goes with: https://tonyortega.org/2017/11/23/wev...

Tags: L. Ron Hubbard, Marcab, Quicky

For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving today, I wish you all a wonderful time with family and friends. We all have much to be thankful for. Good friends (whether family or not) who stand by and support you through thick and thin, friends who would never let someone else destroy the relationship they have with you are perhaps the most valuable thing anyone has — apart from good health. Cherish and be thankful for them today. And also spend a moment to remember those who have had their families torn apart and rededicate yourself to doing what you can to help bring such barbarity to an end. For a little Thanksgiving fun(?) here are this week's "funnies." While we laugh at their stupidity and lack of awareness of the world outside their bubble, it is unfortunately no laughing matter that the result of their foolishness is people being hurt.

Tags: Adam Drake, Bahram Taghavi, Barbara Dews, Bob Marx, Boston, Brian Doherty, Cindi Doherty, Coachman Park, Dallas Org, Dan Sherman, DC, Dianetics, Dusty Rhodes, Edinburgh, England, Fearless Leader, Harry Batson, Humanitarian, International Association of Scientologists, Jaden Lawson, Jasmin Napier, Kansas, Kendra Copelan, L. Ron Hubbard, Mark Arnold, Michael Duff, Nancy Cartwright, Orlando, OT, OT VII, OT VIII, Portland Org, Pretoria Org, Purification Rundown, Quicky, Rafferty Pendery, Scotland, Stevens Creek, Tampa, Terri Marx, The Way to Happiness

Here in the United States, we're celebrating Thanksgiving today, and at the Underground Bunker we sure have a lot to be thankful for this year. For example, we're just coming off of Leah Remini's second season of Scientology and the Aftermath, and its final "special" episode was a real pre-holiday treat for us. It featured author Russell Miller and former Scientologist Hana Whitfield debunking the myths of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. As usual, Leah's show prompted a lot of questions from the public on social media. And we managed to stun some of the newcomers by describing some of Hubbard's most outrageous embellishments about himself.

Tags: 1960, 2011, Chris Shelton, Hana Whitfield, KCRW, Leah Remini, Marcab Confederacy, Medical, New York, Russell Miller, Scientology and the Aftermath, Silver, State of Man Congress, Washington, Whole Track

Yesterday, we posted the demands from Leah Remini's attorney that Scientology fork over $1.5 million for trying to interfere with her upcoming A&E series. Scientology's spokeswoman Karin Pouw has been sending letters trashing Remini's reputation to A&E's network executives, and Leah wants her to knock it off. But hey, look at it from Scientology's perspective: Another former member is going to get a major platform to expose leader David Miscavige and the church for its many unsavory practices. Well, we understand where Karin is coming from, so we thought we'd do what we could to give Scientology equal time.

Tags: 1987, A&E, Bare-Faced Messiah, David Miscavige, Indianapolis, Karin Pouw, L. Ron Hubbard, Leah Remini, Quicky, Russell Miller

As you're no doubt aware, literal Nazis who call themselves the "alt-right" (but to be clear: they are Nazis) have carved out a niche for themselves in the political discussion this year. Richard Spencer, the white supremacist who essentially founded the alt-right, praised the election of Donald Trump in a convention speech on Saturday. But he also said Trump is not the Aryan messiah who will bring about the white supremacist fantasy he calls the "new normal," but merely "a step towards this new normal." So anyone spoiling for a fight with their proverbial racist uncle on this unusually tense Thanksgiving could be in for some unusually heavy artillery on the opposing side. American racism just received an injection of young blood, and your racist uncle might suddenly have an ally in that cousin of yours who always posts Breitbart articles on Facebook. And things will really take a turn if that guy decides he wants to redpill you after you pass him the gravy.

Tags: 1965, 4chan, Adolf Hitler, Alt-Right, Breitbart, Connecticut, DC, Donald Trump, Environmental, Facebook, Muslim, Red Pill, Reddit, Richard Spencer, Southern Poverty Law Center, Twitter, White supremacist, YouTube

As the time for the first episode of Leah Remini's new show draws near, you can see the panic inside the bubble seeping out Out into the real world. OSA has put their shills to work, spreading "good news". Unfortunately they don't have anything better than an old court case in Belgium from March. They plastered this everywhere at the time as if it was a massive "victory for religious freedom" - in fact it was a repudiation of prosecutorial incompetence. Now they are dusting off this old news and sending it out again. You may wonder what they think this will accompliwsh? It's POLICY. Fill the vacuum with good news. And they don't have much.

Tags: A&E, Amy Scobee, Belgium, Google, L. Ron Hubbard, Leah Remini, Office of Special Affairs, Quicky, Squirrel

New Age with 3L3V3N Hi All, @Th3T1pofTh3Roc there is Freedom and the way there is Love. I am just clearing up some things concerning my stance and from a black point of view. please feel free to comment.

Tags: Quicky, Tiponi Grey

Just a couple of weeks ago, we were telling you that Scientology leader David Miscavige was responding to the difficulties faced by the church's drug rehab network, Narconon, by relaunching it. While numerous Narconon facilities have been hit with lawsuits over patient deaths and other claims of harm and dishonest dealing, Miscavige was opening new centers around the world, and was reshuffling management of the network so that it was more tightly controlled by Scientology through one of its subsidiaries, the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE). That plan has already backfired in a tragic way. The Underground Bunker has learned that on November 6, a woman who worked for a Scientology drug rehab facility in Texas was found dead in Los Angeles where she had been undergoing special training with ABLE for the Narconon relaunch.

Tags: 1984, 1992, 1995, ABLE, Alain Kartuzinski, Arizona, Belgium, Brussels, California, Christophe Caliman, Clearwater, David Miscavige, Facebook, Florida, Fort Harrison, Guy Fauteux, Harlingen, Hollywood Boulevard, Janis Johnson, Jean-Pascal Thoreau, Jonny Jacobsen, Judge Yves Régimont, Lisa McPherson, Los Angeles, Maine, Medical, Michigan, Narconon, Narconon International, Narconon South Texas, Narconon staff, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Paris, Phoenix, Police, Quicky, Room 174, Sea Org, Success rate, Tabatha Fauteux, Texas

A Russian court has ruled that the Moscow branch of the Church of Scientology should be dissolved. The Moscow city court accepted the arguments of Russia's justice ministry that as the term "Scientology" is a registered US trademark, the Church cannot be considered a religious organisation. The organisation plans to appeal, reports said.

Tags: Moscow, Russia

We asked our man in Europe, British journalist Jonny Jacobsen, to make some sense of the news coming out of Russia today, where the government has repeatedly tried to ban or dissolve Scientology. But if anything, Scientology is dying less slowly in Russia than it is arguably anywhere in the world, and the government's tactics may have something to do with it. What's the latest, Jonny? A Moscow city court on Monday banned Scientology's centre in the capital, granting a request from the justice ministry. A statement at the ministry's website said officials had acted after "gross and repeated violation" of federal laws. Scientology has already announced it will appeal the decision to the Federal Supreme Court, the Ria Novosti news agency reported later Monday.

Tags: 2014, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Europe, European Court of Human Rights, Jonny Jacobsen, Judge Mikhail Kazakov, Moscow, Quicky, Religious Technology Center, Russia

A Russian court has ordered the Church of Scientology in Moscow to be dissolved. The Moscow City Court on Monday accepted arguments from the Justice Ministry that the term Scientology is trademarked and thus cannot be considered a religious organization covered by the constitution's freedom-of-religion clause. Prosecutors also said the church carried out activities in St. Petersburg, though it was only authorized to operate in Moscow, according to the Tass news agency. Several books by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard are banned in Russia for "extremist" content. A church representative said the decision would be appealed, Russian news agencies reported.

Tags: Moscow, St. Petersburg (Russia)

The statements in the email below really tell you everything you need to know about the delusion inside the bubble. And what cognitive dissonance people will accept without apparently feeling the pain. Remember, this "Cause Resurgence Rundown" literally consists of running in circles. Ideally it would NOT be done in a body according to L. Ron Hubbard — the physical exercise forms no part of this "rundown." Thus, it is why I have mad ea firm decision that if I ever decide to do it again I will opt for either driving a golf cart around in circles or take a seat on a carousel.

Tags: Barbara Dews, Cause Resurgence Rundown, Class VIII, Golden Age of Tech, IRS, L. Ron Hubbard, Los Angeles, OT, OT VIII, Purification Rundown, Quicky

See this story for an explanation of what's going on in this video...

Tags: Las Vegas, Private investigator, Quicky

This seems a very appropriate post to reprint in light of the recent article Scientology Shriveling. Media Take Note: They Lie To You. This was originally published on 27 March 2013. I would assume that if anyone wants to take the time, they will find that some of the missions the church is given credit for in this article from 2013 no longer exist today (though I suspect the scientology.org website is about as fast to remove closed missions from their list as they are to remove declared OT VII's from the list of "10,000 on Solo Nots Sometime Never."

Tags: 1993, 2013, Albany, Belleair, Beverly Hills, Budapest, Buffalo, California, Clear, Clearwater, Cuba, David Miscavige, Ghana, Hungary, Ideal Org, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Madrid, Malaysia, Mission, Mission Network, New York, Ocala, Orlando, OT, OT VII, Quicky, Rochester, Russia, San Francisco, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Shermanspeak, Super Power Building, Taiwan, Tampa, Ukraine

Last night, more than a hundred former Church of Scientology members gathered for a birthday party and reunion at the Suncoast Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. And waiting for them, as they began walking into the rented hall for the event, were a couple of men filming them. "They were right next door to the banquet hall. Two gentlemen sitting on a sofa near the door," Marc Headley tells us.

Tags: 2005, 2009, Apollo, ASHO, Birmingham, Blown for Good, Bob Duggan, Brian Cotter, California, Camilla Andersson, Clear, Commodore's Messenger Organization, David Miscavige, England, Facebook, Fearless Leader, Gold Meritorious, Golden Age of Tech, Ideal Org, Int Base, International Association of Scientologists, Janis Gillham, Jesse Prince, Jim Jackson, Joe Childs, Karen de la Carriere, Keep Scientology Working, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Marc Headley, Mark Fisher, Meghan Fialkoff, Mike Rinder, Miss New York, Nancy Cartwright, Patron Invictus, Patron Meritorious, Peter Gillham, Portland, Renovation, Sacramento, Sea Org, Silicon Valley, South Africa, Stan Gerson, Student Hat, Sunday Funnies, Super Power, Terri Gillham, Texas, Tom Tobin, Trish Duggan, Valley Ideal Org

This is a partial list of the new GAG prices for services in a US Class V org. I don't have a recent price list, so don't know how these numbers compare to pre-GAG prices. It appears there has been an effort to simplify things. Probably because Miscavige is convinced there are rip-offs occurring because it is too confusing and there are too many possible discounts and packages.

Tags: Basics, Chairman of the Board, Class V, Clear, David Miscavige, Donation, Nepal, Quicky, Student Hat

Jon Atack is the author of A Piece of Blue Sky, one of the very best books on L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. He has a new edition of the book for sale, and on Saturdays he's helping us sift through the legends, myths, and contested facts about Scientology that tend to get hashed and rehashed in books, articles, and especially on the Internet. Jon, you said you wanted to talk about forgiveness in Scientology, which sounds like it could be a pretty volatile subject. Give us your best shot. JON: I was on the Class II course when the bulletin Proclamation: Power to Forgive was handed down from on high. This was apt, as the Class II course deals with "confessionals," and the Class II auditor is granted this right of forgiveness along with a pretty, gold-blocked certificate. So, I was one of the first to grant forgiveness to a fellow Scientologist.

Tags: 1960, 1978, 1979, 2012, 2015, A Piece of Blue Sky, Amanda Ambrose, Basics, Buddhist, Buffalo, Catholic, Catholic Church, Clearwater, Copyright, Craig Jensen, Dani Lemberger, David Mayo, David Miscavige, Debbie Cook, Disconnection, Dror Center, E-meter, False Purpose Rundown, Field Staff Member, Flag Building, Florida, Fort Harrison, Guardian's Office, Haifa, Hemet, Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin, Int Base, International Association of Scientologists, Israel, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Jon Atack, L. Ron Hubbard, Mark Bunker, Marty Rathbun, Microsoft, Mike Rinder, OT, OT V, OT VIII, Portland, Purification Rundown, Quicky, Rehabilitation Project Force, Sea Org, South Africa, Stockton, Super Power, Super Power Building, Suppressive Person, Tami Lemberger, Tel Aviv, Tent, Tory Christman, Truth About Drugs, Wogs

Boy, could actor John Travolta use some good publicity about now. Scientology's Celebrity magazine obliges with a particularly friendly look at the Pulp Fiction star in a new issue our tipsters passed along to us. The magazine reviews Travolta's film-making career, calling him an "icon of the silver screen," and in a six-page piece manages to avoid anything remotely redolent of rubdowns going terribly awry, or other revelations that have been the stuff of lawsuits, news stories, and endless Internet sniggering.

Tags: A New Slant on Life, Celebrity, Celebrity magazine, Dianetics, John Travolta, L. Ron Hubbard, Mental Health, Quicky, Shanghai, The Way to Happiness

Chill EB and a fan on set (from Chill's Facebook page) Last night, rapper Chill EB showed up in the comments to the story we had written about his interesting career as a 1990s Bay Area up-and-comer who today is Scientology's in-house hip hop act. What ensued was several hours of interaction, as the rapper dangled the possibility of an interview with the Voice while also defending himself from several of our readers, who seemed to be in an aggressive mood. Finally, at about 2 am, Chill offered to meet through Twitter in order to exchange telephone numbers and have a conversation. Instead, a two-hour Direct Message dialogue ensued. After the jump, some background for those unsure who Chill EB is, and our exchange...

Tags: 1985, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 2009, Anonymous, Applied Scholastics, Basics, CCHR, Celebrity Centre, Chill EB, Copenhagen, David Miscavige, Dianetics, E-meter, Facebook, Golden Era, Golden Era Productions, Hollywood, International Association of Scientologists, Johannesburg, Karin Pouw, London, Mental Health, Narconon, New York City, Norman Berry, Quicky, South Africa, Suppressive Person, The Way to Happiness, Tom Cruise, Twitter, WhyWeProtest, Yellow tent, Youth for Human Rights International, YouTube

Gabriel has come through with some documented particulars as to magnitude of the rape, pillage, and plunder of Scientology public by David Miscavige's "Basics" scam. Good timing my friend. One Hundred Million by Gabriel

Tags: Albany, Basics, Baton Rouge, Belleair, Beverly Hills, Bridge Publications, Clearwater, David Miscavige, Dianetics, Halifax, Houston, International Association of Scientologists, Los Feliz, Milwaukee, Mission, New Orleans, Nick Christensen, Palo Alto, Portland, Quicky, Seattle, Sherman Oaks, Silicon Valley, Toronto, UK, Vulture

Thirty-year-old Edward McBride killed himself in the Brisbane suburb of Everton Park in February 2007. Mr McBride had been a member of the Church of Scientology for about two years and had paid $25,000 for various courses. A coroner's inquiry into his death heard evidence that members of the church had contacted him 19 times in the days before his death about completing an "audit".

Tags: Australia, Bob Brown, Edward McBride, Kevin Rudd, Nick Xenophon, PC folders, Stephen McBride, Suicide

The Youth For Human Rights group has been distributing DVDs and brochures that spread its message about rights and name Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard as a leader on the issue alongside Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

Tags: Australia, Geoff Scott, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, New South Wales, Nick Xenophon, Sydney, Tara Kuru, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Verity Firth, Youth for Human Rights International

Mr McBride was adamant the church contributed to his brother's suicide, with the coroner reporting the telephone messages contained intimidating statements, such as "this behaviour is unacceptable" and "you have missed your interview". He had spent $25,000 on scientology courses in his time with the church. "The bombardment of 19 telephone messages backed him into a corner with no room to breathe," Mr McBride said.

Tags: Bob Brown, Canberra, Edward McBride, Kevin Rudd, Nick Xenophon, Stephen McBride, Suicide

A security guard shot and killed a man wielding two Samurai swords Sunday on the grounds of a Scientology building in Hollywood, police said. The unidentified man approached three guards around noon in the parking lot of the Scientology Celebrity Centre, Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Terry S. Hara said.

Tags: Celebrity Centre, Epic Swords Guy, Terry Hara

On November 11 in the page 12 column headed 'Cruise's fury at Morton' it was reported that Andrew Morton had run into serious trouble when writing a biography of Tom Cruise because of threats from Scientologists. It is now accepted that this is not true and that Mr Morton has not received threats or that he was forced to sell his flat and move underground to write the book. We apologise to the Church of Scientology and its members for the embarrassment and distress caused by the article.

Tags: Andrew Morton, Tom Cruise

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- The notable absence of actor John Travolta at Tom Cruise's wedding in Italy was due to a disagreement over the event's guest list, a report said. Sources close to the situation claim Travolta was a no-show at his fellow Scientologist's wedding last weekend to actress Katie Holmes, because Cruise had left talk show host Oprah Winfrey off the guest list, TMZ.com reported. Travolta and Winfrey have enjoyed a long friendship, to the point that the talk show icon organized the "Pulp Fiction" actor's 50th birthday party.

Tags: David Miscavige, Italy, Jennifer Lopez, John Travolta, Katie Holmes, Kirstie Alley, Oprah Winfrey, Quicky, TMZ, Tom Cruise, Wedding, Will Smith

An internal review of the hospitality policy of City of London police was ordered yesterday after revelations that officers had been accepting invitations, dinners and gifts from the Church of Scientology worth thousands of pounds. Details of how the religious movement appeared to be cultivating officers in the force were revealed in a freedom of information inquiry made by the Guardian.

Tags: Police, UK

The Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization Inc. was charged with abuse and/or neglect of a disabled adult and practicing medicine without a license. Though serious, the lawyers said, the charges carry less emotion than manslaughter and less of a stigma for Scientology than if church members faced individual charges that could put them in prison. Because the Scientology entity was charged corporately, no single person faces prosecution or punishment. "They probably determined that this is the charge that can be best proved, most easily proved, as opposed to manslaughter," said Michael Cheek, a veteran criminal defense lawyer in Clearwater. "I think Bernie realized that the church, in all probability, was going to fight vociferously if a church member was charged," said criminal defense lawyer Denis DeVlaming, a law school classmate of McCabe's.

Tags: 1997, Bernie McCabe, Bob Heyman, Christian, Clearwater, Clearwater Police Department, Denis deVlaming, Flag Service Organization, Florida, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida State Attorney's Office, Fort Harrison, IRS, Lisa McPherson, Lisa McPherson criminal case, Michael Cheek, Pasco County, Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney, Tampa, Wayne Shelor

A court convicted the Church of Scientology's former leader in France today of manslaughter in the suicide of a former adherent and gave him a stiffer prison sentence than requested by the prosecution. The verdict, in the southeastern city of Lyon, was praised here as a major victory in France's fight against Scientology, which the government labels a sect. Fourteen other defendants were convicted of fraud-related charges in the same judgment and given suspended sentences. Eight were acquitted. It is "extremely significant" that the judge sentenced Jean-Jacques Mazier to 18 months in prison and 18 months of a suspended sentence after the prosecution had asked for three years' suspended sentence, said Marie Geneve, president of the Paris-based Center Against Mental Manipulation. "It's the proof that the magistrates are beginning to grasp the importance of the problem." Mazier also was ordered to pay $100,000 in fines.

Tags: 1988, CIA, Europe, First Amendment, France, Germany, Jean-Jacques Mazier, Lyon, Marc Bromberg, Marie Geneve, Nelly Vic, Paris, Patrice Vic, Quicky

The founder and former head of the Church of Scientology in Lyons was convicted of fraud and involuntary homicide today in the death of a church member who committed suicide after going heavily into debt to pay the sect for counseling sessions. A French tribunal sentenced the defendant, Jean-Jacques Mazier, to serve 18 months in prison, with an additional 18 months suspended, and fined him $100,000.

Tags: Conviction, Daniele Gounord, France, Jean-Jacques Mazier, Jean-Paul Chapellet, Legal, Louis-Michel Brolles, Patrice Vic, Suicide

MADRID, SPAIN MADRID, Spain (AP) _ A judge ordered the head of the Church of Scientology International jailed on Wednesday pending possible indictment on charges of fraud, criminal association and tax evasion. Judge Jose Maria Vazquez Honrubia said it would be at least a week before Heber Jentzsch of Los Angeles sees a second judge about setting bail. He told reporters Jentzsch was being sent to Carabanchel Prison outside Madrid and said the legal process could take months or even years before it reaches trial.

Tags: 1950, Bob Meade, Boston, Church of Scientology International, Copenhagen, Denmark, Edith Buchele, Europe, France, Fraud, Gerald Finn, Heber Jentzsch, Hollywood, Internal Revenue Service, Los Angeles, Madrid, Narconon, Office of Special Affairs, Quicky, Spain, Sweden, Tax

About 30 Scientologists were released from Spanish detention Tuesday after questioning about alleged criminal acts, but the sect's highest-ranking leader apparently was still under arrest. The Rev. Heber Jentzsch, president of the Church of Scientology International, was rounded up Sunday with dozens of other members attending a conference in Madrid. Until questioned by Judge Jose Maria Vasquez Honrubia, he will not be released or formally charged, Spanish officials said.

Tags: Bob Meade, Bomb threat, Church of Scientology International, Clearwater, France, Heber Jentzsch, Hill & Knowlton, Lauri Fitz, Los Angeles, Madrid, Police, Richard Haworth, Spain, US State Department, Washington

The Los Angeles-based church has moved into management consulting through WISE, a nonprofit organization, and Sterling Management, a consulting firm. According to Jentzch, Volkswagen is a client of WISE. Waving to a massive collection of gilt-edged volumes on his office shelves, Jentzsch says Scientology has developed "brand-new technology" that provides answers to business and economic problems that no one else has.

Tags: EST, Heber Jentzsch, Lawrence Wollersheim, Margaret Singer, Richard Ofshe, Sterling Management, Synanon, Werner Erhard, WISE

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A judge says she will forbid groups that have broken with the Church of Scientology from using or selling confidential church teachings that were stolen. The doctrine at issue is Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's account of Xemu, a tyrant who supposedly planted the seeds of aberrant behavior in mankind 75 million years ago. After a two-day hearing, U.S. District Judge Mariana R. Pfaelzer said Friday that the sect's teachings can be considered trade secrets.

Tags: 1983, Advanced Ability Center, David Mayo, Denmark, Earle Cooley, Florida, Judge Mariana Pfaelzer, Los Angeles Times, Quicky, Robin Scott, Santa Barbara