Lawrence Wright

SCOTUS-Backed Surveillance Law Built on a Bush-Era Lie

Scientology's Obsession With Hollywood Proving Costly In Its Time of Crisis

In 1955, Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard announced "Project Celebrity," coming up with a list of Hollywood stars he wanted his followers to treat as "game" to hunt down for the church. And while Hubbard didn't succeed in bagging Danny Kaye, Sid Caesar, or Liberace (!), his organization did event ... More >>

EXCLUSIVE -- Paul Haggis On Scientology's Crude Retaliation: "They Are Bullying A Woman Who Has Yet To Even Speak"

The Voice received an e-mail this morning from Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis after we asked him about the Church of Scientology's attack on him and Nazanin Boniadi which appeared on Us Weekly's website yesterday. Over the weekend, Haggis spoke up to defend Boniadi -- who acted in his movie The ... More >>

"Tom Cruise Worships David Miscavige Like a God": The John Brousseau Story, Part Two

Yesterday, we published the first part of our conversation with John Brousseau, a 32-year veteran of Scientology's "Sea Org" who escaped from the church's International Base east of Los Angeles in 2010. In our first part, Brousseau described his work in the Tom Cruise household with Katie Holmes an ... More >>

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise's Split Becomes an Advertisement (Also, Guide to Our Scientology Archives!)

Southampton, England-based P&O Cruises put this advertisement in a newspaper somewhere, and it was naturally posted to the web. We can't decide, however, if P&O understood just how brilliant its advertisement is, as it not only riffs on Tom Cruise's name, but it also recalls one of Scientology's b ... More >>

Alexander Jentzsch, Son of Scientology's President, Memorialized At Sea

Yesterday, Karen de la Carriere memorialized her son, Alexander Jentzsch, who was found dead at a home in Los Angeles on the morning of July 3. He was only 27 years old. Because the Church of Scientology would not give her access to her son's ashes, Karen had rose petals cast on the Pacific Ocean a ... More >>

Scientology Leader David Miscavige's Disappeared Wife Shelly: What We Know

One of Scientology's many intriguing mysteries is the disappearance of church leader David Miscavige's wife, Michelle "Shelly" Barnett, who hasn't been seen in public since around 2007. We've written about Shelly Miscavige in the past, about her strange disappearance, and about the equally mysterio ... More >>

Amanda Palmer Loved Kate Bornstein's Memoir So Much, She Crashed the Book Party

Tuesday night, we were invited to play a small part in Kate Bornstein's book party at the experimental theater Dixon Place, to celebrate the release of her memoir, A Queer and Pleasant Danger. Earlier that day, our cover story about Kate had popped up on the website, and the print version of this ... More >>

Kate Bornstein's Amazing Voyage

America's gender outlaw takes us on a wild tour of trans-formation

Scientology 451: Commenters of the Week!

We used the news from Russia this week as an excuse to mix up a shaker of vodka martinis. After quite a few glasses garnished with olives, we got a bit lightheaded, but we never felt the desire to ban L. Ron Hubbard's books. This was a strange week of Scientology news around the world, but we kept ... More >>

Russia Still Going About Things All Wrong, and More in our Scientology Stats Roundup

Back in October, we reported that Russian law enforcement agents had raided a Church of Scientology in Moscow, breaking down doors to get into store rooms (see the photo at right). A court there had found L. Ron Hubbard's literature to be "extremist," and called for a ban on his books in Russia. Y ... More >>

FBI Investigation of Scientology: Already Over Before We Even Heard of It

In February 2011, the New Yorker published Lawrence Wright's superb 24,000-word piece about director Paul Haggis and the Church of Scientology, "The Apostate." One of the most interesting things in the story was a revelation that made news all on its own: Wright reported that the FBI was investiga ... More >>

Scientology in the Village Voice: 2011 in Review

Here at the Voice we wrote 234 stories on Scientology this year. They generated more than a million pageviews and more than 20,000 comments from our loyal readers. Our first story of the year was posted in February, when we lauded Lawrence Wright's excellent, lengthy New Yorker profile of church de ... More >>

Scientology Story of the Year -- The Vote Is In!

​As we continue our year-end celebrations, we've come to a big moment. We asked voters to decide which story had the most impact on Scientology watching this year. We chose five finalists that we think had lasting importance as well as immediate punch. There were many other stories worth cove ... More >>

Scientology's Scourge, Paulette Cooper, Visits with the Voice

Paulette Cooper, still keeping tabs on Scientology​Our regular readers can probably imagine why we were pretty thrilled this morning to finally meet the original badass of Scientology watchers, none other than Paulette Cooper. She was in town to visit her sister and found time to have breakf ... 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 >>

Scientology Story of the Year: Cast Your Vote Now!

​This has been some year of Scientology reporting and commenting here at the Village Voice, and with the calendar about to flip, we wanted to hand out some awards. But first, we need your help. We're asking our many loyal readers to help us choose three major year-end awards for Best Sciento ... More >>

White House Rejects Scientology Petition: Why That's Not All Bad News

"Scientology? Ain't touching that one!"​A wail was heard across the land tonight. Just as we were leaving the office for the evening, we were notified that thousands of people who recently signed a White House petition about Scientology had received e-mail notices that the Obama administrati ... More >>

Scientology Thursday Stats: This Week's Roundup!

Heldal-Lund takes on an Idol​Every Thursday afternoon, Scientology's "orgs" -- its churches, as it were -- scramble to report their weekly stats to show how much progress they've made over the week before. And woe to those whose numbers are sagging! We do something similar here at Runnin' Sca ... More >>

Scientology Petition Going to the Wire: Will Obama Be Forced to Say Something?

Will Obama be made to speak on Scientology?​For the last few weeks, we've been inundated here at the underground bunker with our tipsters urging us to write about an online petition that would force the Obama Administration to say something publicly about the federal government's apparent inac ... More >>

Scientology Officially Probing the Village Voice!

​We've just received confirmation that ace reporter Jim Lynch has been handed a new assignment, and that assignment is us! Today, he called a PR firm in San Francisco that we used to work with, asking about "the finances of the Village Voice." The finances of the Voice? Hey, Jim, when you fi ... More >>

Scientology High School, Dating, and Super Powers! A Post-Countdown Roundup

We're struggling with a little post-countdown hangover here in the underground bunker, but time marches on, and we can't let down on our Scientology-watching duties. For the second week in a row, then, we're doing a roundup of items in time for Thursday 2pm Stats -- is the church upstat or downstat ... More >>

The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology: Readers Poll Results!

LRH came out on top of our countdown, but did he top out our readers poll? Take a look inside!​Actually, make that the top fifty people crippling the Church of Scientology -- we received more than 3,000 individual choices by 141 voters, with more than 300 different people receiving votes. Our ... More >>

Scientology Overseas: More Bad News in Australia, Israel, and the UK

Chris Guider, the latest Scientology executive to leave and say that David Miscavige gets slappy​Reporter Steve Cannane e-mailed this morning to alert us to a story on Lateline, a program on Australia's ABC network. The piece describes the defection of yet another Scientology executive who say ... More >>

The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology: The Readers Poll!

​You've watched us reveal all but the top five entries in our big countdown, The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology -- now it's your turn to vote for your own list! Here's the link you've been waiting for -- now go and tell us who you think is doing the most to contribute to the Church of Sc ... More >>

Hugh Urban: An Interview With the Professor Who Took on Scientology

Urban, with Nancy Jesser, their daughter Maya Urban-Jesser, and Shiva the dog ​In June, we reviewed a remarkable new book about Scientology. A review copy of Hugh Urban's The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion, put out by the Princeton University Press, had arrived at our desk ... More >>

Scientology's "Lunacy" Leads to Attack on Paul Haggis's Oscar Win, Humanitarianism

​We noted last week how insane was the attack by Scientology's propaganda organ, Freedom magazine, in its parody of issue of The New Yorker and writer Lawrence Wright. We also pointed out how, in a related video, Scientology's slander-mongers took their best shot at director Paul Haggis, subje ... More >>

Scientology Flameout: Commenters of the Week!

Marcotai conquers entheta!​We're sitting here in the underground bunker, looking back on what was another amazing week of Scientology watching. More and more tips are coming in, things are breaking overseas, and the cats are mewing for their breakfast. We're on sensory overload here, but let's ... More >>

Janet Reitman: Unflappable as Scientologists Question Her Motives

​Over at the Washington Post website, Janet Reitman, author of Inside Scientology, just concluded an hour-long live question and answer session with the public. As usual, Reitman was calm and unflappable in the face of criticism. We pointed out this weekend that Scientology's official objecti ... More >>

Scientology Spy List Exposed? Marty Rathbun Ups the Ante on David Miscavige's Secretive Crew

Marty Rathbun continues to deliver bombshells at his blog.​Marty Rathbun dropped another bomb on his blog today, making public what he says is a secret list of Scientology's spy network in the western United States. Rathbun is a top former Scientology official who defected in 2004 and in rece ... More >>

Is Tom Cruise Worthy of a Simon Wiesenthal Award? Also: Scientology's Building Spree

​Jewish Journal writer Danielle Berrin recently took on a subject that has Scientology watchers chattering. On May 5, L.A.'s famous anti-Nazi organization, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, will bestow on Tom Cruise its 2011 Humanitarian Award. As Berrin points out, Cruise isn't exactly known for ... More >>

Michael Fairman, Familiar TV and Film Actor, Makes Public His Expulsion from Scientology

​"Accused -- prosecuted -- found guilty -and sentenced right there on my door step. And here is my certificate of doom." For Scientology watchers, spectacular news this morning. Familiar television and movie character actor Michael Fairman, a longtime member of the "church," has made public ... More >>

Scientology and Proposition 8: Debunking the Church Myth That It Stays Out of Politics

Kirstie Alley, ballot neutral.​One of the most interesting things about Lawrence Wright's recent article about Scientology in the New Yorker was the way he exposed the hypocrisies and outright lies of the wacky organization's top members and spokespeople. But there's a key assertion peddled ... More >>

Inside Scientology's Labor Camp That Benefits Tom Cruise: The Photos

Tom and Katie, beneficiaries of menial labor?​One of the many accusations made about Scientology in Lawrence Wright's masterful piece in this week's New Yorker is that the organization's "Sea Org" members -- who sign billion-year contracts -- work for a measly $50 a week and do hard labor that ... 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 in The New Yorker: Lawrence Wright Buries L. Ron Hubbard For Good

Paul Haggis: "I was in a cult for thirty-four years. Everyone else could see it. I don't know why I couldn't."​We've been looking forward for some time to New Yorker writer Lawrence Wright's account of the defection of 'Crash' director Paul Haggis from Scientology. But this thing. Wow. I thi ... More >>

Lawrence Wright Gets an Eyeful in Gaza

The Public Theater mounts The Human Scale

This Week's Voice: Ahmad Jamal, Linkin Park, Frankie Rose, and More

Linkin Park, favorably compared to Radiohead by Christopher R. Weingarten.​In this week's Village Voice, Francis Davis weighs in on the new eight-CD box set honoring jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal, Christopher R. Weingarten compares Linkin Park's new A Thousand Suns to Radiohead's OK Computer, and C ... More >>

BITTER DIVIDE

A journalist takes the spotlight

How I Got That Story

Lawrence Wright makes a monologue out of terror

Talked Up