Stacy Francis

Related Search

New York News Local News Blog Michael Musto Nat Hentoff Archives Search Weekly Newsletter Get Mobile

New York Events Top Picks Submit an Event Events Newsletter Get Mobile Entertainment Ads Free Will Astrology Tickets Choice Streets

New York Music Music Blog Concert Calendar Pazz & Jop New York Nightlife Submit an Event Music Newsletter Get Mobile NYC 4Knots Music Fest

New York Restaurants Food Blog Find a Restaurant Menus Happy Hours Deals Choice Streets Dining Newsletter Get Mobile Restaurant Ads

New York Arts New York Theater Arts Newsletter Get Mobile Entertainment Ads Obie Awards Books Dance Art

New York Movies Showtimes Movie Trailers Film Poll 2012 Film Festivals Film Newsletter Repertory Film Get Mobile Free Stuff

Things to do in New York 2012 Readers Poll 2011 2010 2009 2008 Best Of Newsletter Get Mobile Best Of Ads

New York Promotions Promotional Events Street Team Free Stuff Promotions Newsletter Get Mobile Deals Web Awards Brooklyn Pour Tickets

New York Classifieds Post an Ad Virtual Career Fair Advertiser Index Deals Deals Newsletter After Dark

Blogs
February 26, 2012
Scientology and Nation of Islam Exposed in Florida School Takeover; In Israel, Miscavige Shown to be a Liar by Own Attorneys
The Tampa Bay Times has done it again with another explosive report on the Church of Scientology. Drew Harwell's thorough report shows an alarming partnership between Scientology and the Nation of Islam that has drained dry a troubled charter school in Dunedin, Florida. We also have a startling rep ... More >>
Blogs
February 22, 2012
Scientology and the Occult: Hugh Urban's New Exploration of L. Ron Hubbard and Aleister Crowley
The Rosy Cross, appropriated in a similar form by Crowley and OTOLast June, we brought you the first review of The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion by Ohio State professor Hugh Urban, and then the first interview with the good professor himself. During that interview, Urban ... More >>
Blogs
February 17, 2012
Debbie Cook: "I Have Seen L Ron Hubbard's Technology Create Many Miracles"
Scientology took on Debbie Cook, Debbie Cook kicked Scientology's ass, and now...Scientology wins? This afternoon, former Church of Scientology executive Debbie Cook posted a public thank you to her supporters at the blog of Marty Rathbun, who is also a former high-ranking church official. She des ... More >>
Blogs
February 15, 2012
SCIENTOLOGY'S DISGRACE: AN OPEN LETTER TO TOM CRUISE
Dear Tom, It's time for you to start talking publicly about Scientology again. Your religion is in serious trouble. In 2005, you ended a longtime policy of not talking about the church by suddenly bringing it up in interviews. Most memorable, of course, was the way you challenged Matt Lauer, tell ... More >>
Blogs
February 14, 2012
Scientology's Shocking Treatment of Children Held in a Suburban Labor Camp
Shocking news this morning from journalist Bryan Seymour in Australia. In a story for the program TodayTonight that took him more than a year to put together, Seymour blows the lid off a re-education camp operated by Scientology in a suburb of Sydney, where children as young as eight years old hav ... More >>
Blogs
February 12, 2012
Scientology Sunday Funnies: Fresh Meat in the Windy City!
Scientologists don't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other day of ... More >>
Blogs
February 11, 2012
VIDEO: The Debbie Cook Interview
We can't remember a time when the attorneys of the Church of Scientology gave up on a case like they did today when they withdrew their request for a temporary injunction that would keep Debbie Cook and Wayne Baumgarten under a gag order until the church's lawsuit against them could come to ... More >>
Blogs
February 10, 2012
Scientology vs Debbie Cook, Day 2: More Live-Blogging by the Voice
We're heading down to the courthouse now to begin talking to folks before the action heats up again. Yesterday afternoon, Bexar County district judge Martha Tanner said that she'd begin day 2 of the temporary injunction hearing at 9:30 am, CST. If you're just joining us, the Church of Scientology ... More >>
Blogs
February 10, 2012
Scientology Waves the White Flag in Texas: The Debbie Cook Interview
I'm sitting in a remarkable conference happening right now with Debbie Cook, her husband Wayne Baumgarten (pictured above), their attorney, Ray Jeffrey, and several other journalists. It's just a few hours after the Church of Scientology surprisingly waved the white flag and dropped its atte ... More >>
Blogs
February 9, 2012
Scientology, Deep in the Heart of Texas: The Voice at the Debbie Cook Hearing
Update: For a wrap-up of today's hearing and some analysis of the day's performances, we now have this new piece. Today, former Scientology executive Debbie Cook will try to convince a Bexar County, Texas district judge to lift the strict terms of a temporary injunction as she defends herself again ... More >>
Blogs
February 9, 2012
Scientology vs Debbie Cook, Day 1: Our Totally Unscientific Handicapping
What an amazing time we had reporting from the Bexar County Courthouse today as Debbie Cook testified in the lawsuit filed against her by her former employer, the Church of Scientology. We got back to our hotel room and saw for the first time the amazing comments left by our loyal readers. ( ... More >>
Blogs
February 8, 2012
Scientology's Gag Reflex: The Church's History of Enforcing a Vow of Silence
Tomorrow, one of the most remarkable legal hearings in the litigious history of Scientology should unfold in a Texas courtroom. Two weeks after filing suit against Debbie Cook, the former executive who for 17 years ran its spiritual mecca in Florida, Scientology will be seeking to turn a 14-day res ... More >>
Blogs
February 7, 2012
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 weekly ... More >>
Blogs
February 7, 2012
Scientology Headaches: Another Felony Count for Exec; Anonymous Anniversary Saturday
There's so much happening in the world of Scientology watching right now, we can hardly keep up with it all. Most of our attention is being taken up with the Debbie Cook lawsuit and its big hearing on Thursday -- we're going to have more on that tomorrow morning. But for now, more big developments h ... More >>
Blogs
February 4, 2012
Scientology Wants It Both Ways: The Church's Opposite Legal Strategies In Florida and Texas
Back in November, the St. Petersburg Times uncorked its best expose of the Church of Scientology yet -- "The Money Machine," a look at Scientology's incredible appetite for fundraising among its members. Just three months later, two court cases are putting an exclamation point on that investigative ... More >>
Blogs
February 2, 2012
Scientology in France: Still Guilty of Fraud
Big news this morning out of a French appeals court, where a decision was handed down regarding Scientology's 2009 conviction for fraud. Scientology watchers around the world have been keeping an eye on the proceedings, which were wild and woolly: in November, Scientology's entire contingent of att ... More >>
Blogs
February 2, 2012
Debbie Cook Files to Dissolve Scientology's Temporary Restraining Order: We Talk To Her Attorney, Ray Jeffrey
Yesterday, Debbie Cook began her defense against Scientology's lawsuit which seeks $300,000 in damages because she dared to speak out to her fellow church members in an e-mail sent on New Year's Eve. Cook, through her newly hired San Antonio attorney, Ray B. Jeffrey, filed to dissolve the temporary ... More >>
Blogs
January 31, 2012
Scientology Sues Debbie Cook Over Her New Year's Eve E-Mail
Monday evening, the Tampa Bay Times reported that the Church of Scientology filed a lawsuit Friday in San Antonio against Debbie Cook and her husband Wayne Baumgarten. The lawsuit, which accuses Cook of violating the terms of a non-disclosure agreement when she dared to criticize the leadership of h ... More >>
Blogs
January 30, 2012
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 >>
Blogs
January 29, 2012
Scientology Sunday Funnies: May the Force Be With You! (UPDATED)
Scientologists don't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other day of ... More >>
Blogs
January 27, 2012
Scientology vs Marty Rathbun: An Unfair Fight?
Last summer, we brought you extensive coverage of Scientology's bizarre siege of a South Texas home. A goon squad calling itself the "Squirrel Busters" claimed to be a documentary crew making a film about former high-ranking church executive Marty Rathbun. The intimidation squad even managed to get ... More >>
Blogs
January 26, 2012
The Decline and Fall of Scientology? Skeptic Magazine Makes the Case
A colleague of mine once explained to me why he keeps away from Scientology stories at his publication (which will remain nameless). He wasn't concerned about the church's reputation for litigiousness, and he wasn't worried that a story about Scientology's most recent controversies and excesses wou ... More >>
Blogs
January 25, 2012
The Strange Death of Flo Barnett, Mother-in-Law to Scientology Leader David Miscavige
We were stunned when Debrah Kitchings said it: in the 26 years since she investigated the odd death of Mary Florence "Flo" Barnett for the Los Angeles County Coroner, she has not once been asked by a reporter about what she remembers of the case. Only once in that time, she says, was she ever aske ... More >>
Blogs
January 23, 2012
Scientology Network TV Ads: More Precious Reactions!
Scientology's aggressive network TV ad campaign continued last night with another 2-minute commercial that aired on Fox's American Idol right after the New York Giants defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win the NFC championship and earn a spot in the Super Bowl. Poughkeepsie's Michael Farrell was ... More >>
Blogs
January 22, 2012
Scientology Sunday Funnies: The "Thrill" of Fundraising!
Scientologists don't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other ... More >>
Blogs
January 19, 2012
Scientology Spokeswoman Who Disconnected From Her Father Criticizes Scientology Victim Who Didn't
On Thursdays, we bring you Scientology news from around the globe. And this week, we were planning to note that Australia's television program A Current Affair had done a nice job on a story we brought you earlier, about Ramana Dienes-Browning and her hellish 8 years on Scientology's private cruise ... More >>
Blogs
January 18, 2012
Scientology's Goons: Intimidating a 71-Year-Old Missouri Grandmother
On December 29, the Church of Scientology-Missouri's media relations officer, Ellen Maher-Forney, and another executive, Jill James, drove the 40 minutes it takes to go from the church on Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis to the home of Jim and Meshell Little in Saint Peters, Missouri. When the two wom ... More >>
Blogs
January 16, 2012
Did You See a Scientology Ad This Weekend?
Update: After the jump, we'll show you the church e-mail that confirms just about everything we were told by Jefferson Hawkins about this sudden ad campaign. The Church of Scientology bought network TV ad time in a big way this weekend. On Saturday, we started noticing Twitter users complaining tha ... More >>
Blogs
January 12, 2012
Scientology, Winning! We Hear from the Church's #1 Student
On Thursdays, Scientology's staff members race to get their statistics turned in by 2 pm, the end of their week. Here at the Voice, we do the same thing, rounding up the world's media on Scientology each Thursday and deciding whether the church has had an "upstat" or "downstat" week. [Go here for ou ... More >>
Blogs
January 11, 2012
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 >>
Blogs
January 8, 2012
Scientology Sunday Funnies: Happiness Coming to a Library Near You!
Scientology doesn't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other day of ... More >>
Blogs
January 7, 2012
Scientology, Cooked: Commenters of the Week!
"This Debbie Cook show is just too much!"If the rest of 2012 is going to be like this first week, the hooch reserves in the underground bunker are going to need some bolstering. Things started off one second after midnight as 2012 began, when our pre-loaded first story of the year, "What is ... More >>
Blogs
January 6, 2012
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 career, ... More >>
Blogs
January 5, 2012
All Scientologists Look Alike, Right? -- And More in our Weekly Stats Roundup!
Is that a famous Scientologist we spy?Every Thursday at 2 pm, Scientology staff members race to turn in their weekly statistics. We like to do the same by rounding up the week's Scientology news from around the world and weigh how the church is doing. We're going to start this week with a ni ... More >>
Blogs
January 4, 2012
Scientology in Crisis: Debbie Cook's Transformation from Enforcer to Whistleblower
Debbie Cook and her husband Wayne Baumgarten, Christmas 2010Most of the press reporting on Debbie Cook so far has focused on her past as a high-ranking executive in the Church of Scientology and her sudden transformation this week into a whistleblower trying to rally her fellow church members ... More >>
Blogs
January 3, 2012
Is Scientology Imploding? Watching the Panic After a Former Executive Dares to Question Church Management
UPDATE: We look back at Debbie Cook's career, from enforcer to whistleblower. The world of Scientology watching is still reeling after Debbie Cook's New Year's Eve e-mail landed in the inboxes of thousands of church members Saturday night. A few minutes after midnight, we began receiving copies of ... More >>
Blogs
January 2, 2012
Scientology in 2012: Mark Bunker and Mike Rinder Give Us a Preview of Enturbulation To Come
The new year has already started with a bombshell, but we wanted to get a longer view of how 2012 might turn out for Scientology watching. So we asked a couple of far-seeing church observers to give us their thoughts. We have some fascinating prognostication from Mark Bunker, whose film Knowledge R ... More >>
Blogs
January 1, 2012
Scientology Rocked By Allegations of Greed in E-mail to 12,000 Church Members
Debbie Cook: Cooked after this broadside against church management?UPDATE: Debbie Cook has asked me to take down her e-mail, and I am complying. See note below. Very shortly after midnight last night, after the ball had dropped in Times Square to welcome in 2012, we started to receive fevere ... More >>
Blogs
December 29, 2011
Scientology Goes Upstat for the Final News Roundup of the Year (And Why We're Grateful)
Feeling upstat, feeling sexy!On Thursdays, we like to put together a rundown of stories related to Scientology watching from around the world. We do this on Thursdays, because it's that day when Scientologists rush to turn in their weekly stats. Most of the time, those stories are embarrassi ... More >>
Blogs
December 28, 2011
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 >>
Blogs
December 27, 2011
Scientology Shoop of the Year -- The Vote Is In!
We're continuing our year-end celebrations here at the (newly refurbished and upgraded) underground bunker. Today, we have the voting results for best Photoshopped image as chosen by you, our fellow Scientology watchers. The talented Photoshoppers over at WhyWeProtest.net constantly turn out clever ... More >>
Blogs
December 21, 2011
Scientology Scuffle Over Xenu: When a Protester is Attacked!
Getting a face full of unhappy ScientologistTommy Gorman has a pretty in-your-face way of protesting the Church of Scientology. He positions himself outside the entrance to San Francisco's Scientology "org" holding a video camera and another device that plays an audio recording. As workers a ... More >>
Blogs
December 21, 2011
Scientology Document Suggests Huffington Post Religion Blogger has been on the Church's Payroll
Joe Grieboski -- on Scientology's payroll?Former Scientology executive Marty Rathbun made another leak of formerly secret, internal Scientology documents today, and this time he claims to have uncovered that a Huffington Post blogger who defends minority religions, and Scientology, has been o ... More >>
Blogs
December 20, 2011
Scientology Kids: Fully Indoctrinated by 18
On Sunday, we published a disturbing new document which was produced by Scientology recruiters in Australia. It purports to be the testimony of an 18-year-old named Denny Chang, who extols the virtues of Scientology's most hardcore contingent, the Sea Org, and urges other young church members ... More >>
Blogs
December 19, 2011
Scientology's Scourge, Paulette Cooper, Visits with the Voice
Paulette Cooper, still keeping tabs on ScientologyOur 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 >>
Blogs
December 18, 2011
Scientology Sunday Funnies: In the Sea Org at 18 and on Top of the World!
Scientology doesn't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other ... More >>
Blogs
December 14, 2011
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 >>
Blogs
December 11, 2011
Scientology Sunday Funnies: Learn PR from the Sea Org!
Scientology doesn't really have a Sunday service. They like to say that they do, because they crave mainstream acceptance. But unless Xenu rested after six days and L. Ron Hubbard just forgot to mention it, there's no reason for Scientologists to treat Sunday any differently than every other ... More >>
Blogs
December 7, 2011
Valeska Paris Receives Threat from Scientology Attorneys; And More on her Time on the Freewinds
Valeska Paris and DeclanLast week, we wrote about Valeska Paris, the Swiss-born Australian woman who says that from 1996 to 2007, she was held against her will on Scientology's private cruise ship, the Freewinds. She says that Scientology leader David Miscavige moved her to the ship in 1996 ... More >>
Blogs
December 6, 2011
Michael Fairman Sues his Chiropractor -- in Part to Legitimize the Independent Scientology Movement?
Michael Fairman, giving an interview to Mark Bunker for his documentary, Knowledge ReportWe've said it before: Michael Fairman is one of our favorite former members of the Church of Scientology, and someone we've talked to quite a few times in recent months. We were caught by surprise Sunday ... More >>
More >>

My Account
Log In
Join
Connect
Facebook
Twitter
Newsletters
Things To Do App
Advertising
Village Voice
National
Classified
Infographics
Company
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Site Problems?
Careers

Browse Voice Nation

Voice Places

Find everything you're looking for in your city
Happy Hour App

Find the best happy hour deals in your city
Daily Deals

Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
Best Of...

Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city

Join

My Voice Nation

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Blogs

Hottest Conversations

My Account

Connect

Advertising

Company