L. Ron Hubbard

Anons Go Unmasked at Latest Scientology Protest

Sean Bell and Anonymous Protesters Join Forces in Midtown

Cracked on L. Ron Hubbard's Most Impressive Lies (Besides Scientology)

Will Smith Shows Off Scientology Brainwashing

Back-Door Messiah? New L. Ron Hubbard Publishers Don't Mention Scientology

Publisher Stays Mum on Author's Founding of Scientology

The Voice's Most-Viewed Stories of 2008

Scientology Gets Its Ass Kicked In the Desert

[Tommy Davis on the hot seat, from KESQ]SEE UPDATE, after the jump.Wise Beard Man tipped us recently that KESQ, a local television station in Palm Springs, California, has put together a pretty terrific 5-part investigation of Scientology.Why Palm Springs? Well, one of Scientology's stranger facilit ... More >>

Craig Baldwin's Mock Up and Mu Unlocks and Mocks the Mysteries of Scientology

[Tommy Davis on the hot seat, from KESQ]SEE UPDATE, after the jump.Wise Beard Man tipped us recently that KESQ, a local television station in Palm Springs, California, has put together a pretty terrific 5-part investigation of Scientology.Why Palm Springs? Well, one of Scientology's stranger facilit ... More >>

Scientology's Crushing Defeat

A previously unpublished saga of an $8 million check

What to Get L. Ron Hubbard for his Birthday

How “Anonymous” has changed the game of exposing Ron’s ruthless global scam

Mystery Scientology Theater

They came from within: How War of the Worlds anticipated the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard

Proof that Scientology Works!

Here she is, folks. The product of L. Ron Hubbard's planet-clearing technology! The sparkling, superhuman Tammy Gardner, newly minted OT VIII! OK, for you doubters out there, Tammy is the promised "clear" that Hubbard talked about way back when he introduced his idea of Dianetics in 1950. See, th ... More >>

The Eight Days of Scientology: A Christmas Carol for Our Enturbulated Times!

We thought 2008 was rough on Scientology, but this year has been even worse. So, in order to send some holiday cheer to COB* and the gang, we point you to this wonderful holiday ditty produced by the folks at Headzup.tv *That's Scieno-slang for "Chairman of the Board", a/k/a L. Ron Hubbard's min ... More >>

Spectres of the Spectrum

We thought 2008 was rough on Scientology, but this year has been even worse. So, in order to send some holiday cheer to COB* and the gang, we point you to this wonderful holiday ditty produced by the folks at Headzup.tv *That's Scieno-slang for "Chairman of the Board", a/k/a L. Ron Hubbard's min ... More >>

The Church of Scientology does not want you to see L. Ron Hubbard's woman-hatin' book chapter

​ The trouble with having a religion founded by a crazy writer is that crazy writers tend to write crazy shit. Traditionally, the Church of Scientology has handled this by making access to the craziest of L. Ron Hubbard's jabberings a reward you might earn in exchange for having blown thousand ... More >>

Scientology: The Now Religion!

​Clip Job: an excerpt every day from the Voice archives. December 17, 1970, Vol. XV, No. 51 Scientology: The Now Religion By Donald M. Kaplan The true measures of the false prophet are an unrelenting certainty and a staggering income. The immediate impression of L. Ron Hubbard, the prophet ... More >>

Scientology Gets Fact Checked, Huffington Post Gets Overrated, Tea Party Gets a Magazine

via​Yesterday, we praised Lawrence Wright's cover story in The New Yorker, a 24,195-word mega-exposé about Hollywood writer/producer/director Paul Haggis' defection from the corrupt and crazy Church of Scientology after 35 years. Today, NPR's Fresh Air has a behind-the-scenes look at the maga ... More >>

Scientology's Anti-Commie, Space Opera Beginnings, and Other Nuggets From New Academic Book

​There's a new academic treatise on Scientology coming out this September, and it's a very welcome addition to the literature surrounding L. Ron Hubbard's odd organization. Hugh B. Urban, Ohio State University religious studies professor, has given us, in his Princeton University Press tome, ... More >>

'Inside Scientology' Promises a Lot, And Delivers: David Miscavige Has Much to Worry About

​Next month, Janet Reitman's book Inside Scientology will hit bookshelves, and the world of Scientology-watching, and for Scientology itself, will never be the same. Subtitled The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion, Reitman's book delivers all it promises, and it promises a lot. "It ... More >>

Inside Scientology Promises a Lot, and Delivers

David Miscavige Has Much to Worry About

Janet Reitman: An Interview with the Author of Inside Scientology

Janet Reitman​On Tuesday, we sat down with Janet Reitman, author of the terrific new book Inside Scientology: The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion, which is just hitting bookstores and will be released officially in July. Inside Scientology is a masterful telling of the Scientology ... More >>

Scientology's Spies, its Prison System, and Training Jerry Seinfeld: The Spectacular Life of Nancy Many

​In both of the two major books about Scientology coming out this summer, Janet Reitman's Inside Scientology, and Hugh Urban's academic history, The Church of Scientology, we noticed that Nancy Many shows up multiple times. And no wonder: the former Scientologist has lived an amazing life. She ... More >>

The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology, No. 22: Jamie DeWolf

​On August 5, we started a countdown that will give credit -- or blame -- to the people who have contributed most to the sad current state of Scientology. From its greatest expansion in the 1980s, the church is a shell of what it once was and is mired in countless controversies around the worl ... More >>

Scientology Never Forgets: A Telemarketing Holiday Miracle

"I'm a little bit out of the loop on that."​Fellow Scientology watchers, for this holiday Sunday I have a little nugget I thought you might find interesting. I'll be curious to see, in the comments, how significant you find this item -- just a fun diversion, or maybe a bit more portentious? A ... More >>

The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology, No. 10: Lisa McPherson

​On August 5, we started a countdown that will give credit -- or blame -- to the people who have contributed most to the sad current state of Scientology. From its greatest expansion in the 1980s, the church is a shell of what it once was and is mired in countless controversies around the worl ... More >>

Scientology Schweinehund: Commenters of the Week!

"Rathbun? I see nothing!"​We were feeling pretty whiplashed this week here at the underground bunker where we keep an eye on all things Scientology related -- on the one hand, our big countdown was really heating up, but we also needed to keep an eye on the big news breaking out in Germany, wh ... More >>

The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology, No. 2: David Miscavige

​On August 5, we started a countdown that will give credit -- or blame -- to the people who have contributed most to the sad current state of Scientology. From its greatest expansion in the 1980s, the church is a shell of what it once was and is mired in countless controversies around the worl ... More >>

The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology, No. 1: L. Ron Hubbard

​On August 5, we started a countdown that will give credit -- or blame -- to the people who have contributed most to the sad current state of Scientology. From its greatest expansion in the 1980s, the church is a shell of what it once was and is mired in countless controversies around the worl ... More >>

Scientology Apotheosis: Commenters of the Week!

"How did we get left out of the countdown?"​Well, this was a week we've been looking forward to for some time here in the underground bunker. And now that we've finally finished our big countdown, there's a slight feeling of letdown here at Scientology-watching central. Even the cats are listl ... More >>

Philip Boyd, Saving Grace Actor, Rips "The Business That Is Scientology"

Boyd​"If I could save one person from buying into the business that is Scientology, then it would be worth you writing my story." That's how actor Philip Boyd concluded an interview that I didn't even expect to happen. Let me back up: I'm in Southern California for a school visit, and with ... More >>

L. Ron Hubbard Christens the Apollo 43 Years Ago Today: For The First Time, His "Orders of the Day"

​ For you Scientology watchers and Scientology history buffs, we think we have something very special for you today. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard sailed around the Mediterranean in a small armada of vessels, going from port to port. Each day, he issued ... More >>

Paulette Cooper, Scientology's Original and Worst Nightmare: A Thanksgiving Tribute by the Village Voice

​I couldn't think of a better way to give thanks this year than to pay homage to the woman who was there first, paid the highest price, and remains a mentor, an inspiration, and a total class act. In gratitude to our many loyal Scientology watchers who have made this year so special, here at ... More >>

Scientology vs. Pollution, a Lisbon Cocktail Party, and More: Sailing on the Apollo Nov. 20-26

​Last week, we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard's previously unpublished "Orders of the Day," which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from 1968 to 1971. In this installment, w ... More >>

Hey, Scientology Celebrity, Here's Your Media Training Checksheet!

Cruise, off the rails​Our readers send us the most wonderful things. By e-mail and snail mail, our far-flung correspondents put in our hands Scientology's tasteless fundraising mailers (which we use in our recurring Sunday Funnies posts), they send us over-the-top glossy Scientology magazines, ... More >>

L. Ron Hubbard Schools Richard Nixon: Sailing on the Apollo Nov 27 - Dec 3

​On November 18, we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundreds of copies of L. Ron Hubbard's previously unpublished "Orders of the Day," which he gave to crew members as he sailed the Mediterranean. Our documents cover the period from 1968 to 1971, and this time we' ... More >>

Scientology Capsize: Commenters of the Week!

"And we thought the asbestos was bad!"​The scene here in the underground bunker is like the quiet after a major storm. A hurricane blew up out of the Caribbean this week and hit us square on. The place is a mess. The cats are skittish. But the excitement has finally died down a bit, the lights ... More >>

Scientology Cruise Ship as Hellhole: The Ramana Dienes-Browning Story

Ramana Dienes-Browning and Iyana​Last week, Steve Cannane of Australia's ABC network and its program Lateline broke the story of Valeska Paris, a woman who says she was held against her will on Scientology's private cruise ship, the Freewinds, from 1996 to 2007. In that story, Cannane also ta ... More >>

Scientology Infusion: Commenters of the Week!

"This Will guy is so cool! I can't wait to tell Dave."​We're still taking your votes for Scientology Story of the Year, and in general, things here in the underground bunker are frenetic as we prepare for year-end festivities. We also managed to keep the beat going this week with some interest ... More >>

What is Scientology?

L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology's founder​Although we've written hundreds of articles about Scientology over the years, and other news organizations have contributed hundreds more -- not to mention the numerous books, television programs, and countless websites dedicated to the subject -- without ... More >>

Scientology in Turmoil: Debbie Cook's E-Mail, Annotated

​Since news broke Sunday of Debbie Cook's stunning e-mail, sent to thousands of her fellow Scientologists, word of a serious rift inside the church has been appearing in many news outlets, particularly in Europe. In the meantime, we provided additional depth and context about Debbie Cook, her ... More >>

Scientology: Secrets of the Super Power Building

​The Voice has obtained hundreds of new renderings of Scientology's Super Power Building in Clearwater, Florida, as well as a comprehensive collection of its architectural drawings. [Go here for our primer: What is Scientology?] A few renderings of Scientology's expensive new "mecca" were pub ... More >>

Scientology's "Super Power Rundown:" What is it, Anyway?

Prepare to unleash your super self! Secrets ahead!​On Monday and Tuesday, we released previously unseen renderings and architectural drawings of what Scientology's $100 million "Flag Mecca" -- also known as the "Super Power Building" -- is going to look like when it finally opens. (The buildin ... More >>

Scientology: L. Ron Hubbard Still Surfing the Galaxy

Twenty-six years ago today, L. Ron Hubbard decided to leave his body after using it for 74 years. A young David Miscavige, a Sea Org member who behind the scenes had been clearing the way to become Hubbard's successor as leader of the Scientology movement, announced Hubbard's death to his follow ... More >>

Death of a Scientologist: Why Annie Broeker, Famous in the Church, Had to Die in Secret

​Last June, a 55-year-old woman named Ann Tidman died in an apartment in Hollywood. Her own sisters, who suspected that she was ill, did not learn about Tidman's death until just a few weeks ago. They had tried to get information about her, but Tidman herself -- and the church she belonged to ... More >>

Scientology's Secret Vaults: A Rare Interview With a Former Member of Hush-Hush "CST"

Trementina's ventilation house: Vault entrance? What vault entrance?​Over the years, we've talked to a lot of former Scientologists, many of whom worked at the church's secretive desert headquarters in Southern California, "Int Base." They were cut off from their families and the outside world ... More >>

5 Biggest Lies in Scientology's 2-Minute TV Ad

​We keep seeing Twitter reactions as people are stunned to see a 2-minute ad for Scientology show up on network television. We've written earlier about the negative reactions the ad is getting as it appeared during NFL playoff games, the Miss America pageant, the Golden Globes, and during such ... More >>

Scientology on the High Seas: "You Chilluns Will Get Shoes"

​NOTE: This is our regularly-scheduled Friday morning feature about L. Ron Hubbard aboard the Apollo. Our second day of reporting from the Debbie Cook hearing begins soon. Please check back for that coverage. In November we started a new feature here on Fridays: the Voice has obtained hundre ... More >>