Tom Tobin

Voice Readers Raise Thousands For Couple That Refused to Spy for Scientology

We've always been suckers for the final scene of It's a Wonderful Life. No matter how many times we see it, we tear up at the sight of George Bailey's friends coming to his aid in his time of need, proving to him that he really is the richest man in town. Over the last couple of days, we watched so ... More >>

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 >>

SCIENTOLOGY ABANDONED BY L. RON HUBBARD'S GRANDDAUGHTER AND DAVID MISCAVIGE'S FATHER

Multiple sources are telling the Voice that Scientology's International Base in California has experienced stunning new defections -- Roanne Leake, who is L. Ron Hubbard's granddaughter, has "blown" the base, which was her home for more than 20 years. But just as shocking, at about the same time, th ... More >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Debbie Cook's Motion Denied: Scientology's Restraining Order Remains in Place Until Thursday Hearing

As we reported yesterday, Debbie Cook, who is being sued by the Church of Scientology for speaking out to her fellow church members in a New Year's Eve e-mail, filed a motion to dissolve a temporary restraining order so broad, it prevented her from hiring an attorney (she hired one anyway) or talkin ... More >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Scientology in Crisis: Debbie Cook's Transformation from Enforcer to Whistleblower

Debbie Cook and her husband Wayne Baumgarten, Christmas 2010​Most 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Scientology Sunday Funnies: Merry Christmas 2011!

"Santa, were you an implant too?"​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 ... More >>

Scientology Scuffle Over Xenu: When a Protester is Attacked!

Getting a face full of unhappy Scientologist​Tommy 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 >>

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 >>

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 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 >>

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 >>

Martin Bashir Compares Newt Gingrich to Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, and more in our Thursday Stats Roundup!

It's that time of the week, when Scientology workers scramble to get their statistics turned in. And with the Thursday 2pm deadline looming, we like to do the same, rounding up the church's stats for the past week. First up, a little political humor... Yesterday, Martin Bashir did a bit of editor ... More >>

Jason Lee, Twitter Newbie, Goes After Dude with 6 Followers For Asking About Scientology

​ A day after joining Twitter, actor Jason Lee didn't take kindly to a fan, Sean Coleman, griping about his being a member of the Church of Scientology. So Jason took a swipe at Coleman, who has all of 6 followers.

Scientology's Shame: Lisa McPherson, 16 Years After Her Death

​On December 5, 1995, a 36-year-old woman perished while several people were taking her to a hospital in Florida. Within a few years, the mysterious and strange circumstances around the death of Lisa McPherson -- who had been a Scientologist since the age of 18 -- had the Church of Scientolog ... More >>

Scientology Sinking Like a Cruise Ship: Time for Thursday Stats!

Each Thursday at 2 pm, Scientology workers madly dash to finish up their work before turning in their weekly statistics. We like to do the same thing here at the Voice, and on Thursday afternoons add up the wins and losses for the church around the world. We took last week off in order to highli ... More >>

Scientology Celebrities Who Partied on the Freewinds While Valeska Paris Was Held on the Ship Against Her Will

We've been reporting all week on the stunning story of Valeska Paris, the Swiss-born woman who now lives in Australia and who says that from 1996 to 2007, beginning when she was only 18 years old, she was held on Scientology's private cruise ship, the Freewinds, as a virtual prisoner. Valeska alleg ... More >>

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

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, and of course they send us ... More >>

Chill EB and Me: Rappin' About Scientology

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 t ... More >>

Scientology in Israel: Arson, Attempted Murder, Foreclosure, General Paranoia -- And a Visit by the Voice!

Scientology's unopened building in Jaffa​Here at the Voice we've reported this year on some pretty hard to believe worldwide developments in the ongoing Scientology saga -- from allegations of lying about child molestation in Australia, to splitting up families in California, to a months long ... More >>

Michael Sandlofer, 1st Husband to X Factor's Stacy Francis, on Her Past, Her Scientology, and Her Problems With The Truth

X Factor's Stacy Francis​"I have to defend what I know. And I know how serious domestic violence is, and I'm not with that. To be potentially accused of that is gross." An exclusive here at the Voice this morning. We have the first interview with Michael Sandlofer, the first husband of X Fact ... More >>

Tom Cruise and Stacy Francis Singing Together on Scientology's Ship Freewinds

If you've been following along with the drama around X Factor contestant Stacy Francis, you know that her entire past has come under inspection as her fans and detractors have attempted to sift truth from legend. In particular, we have noted that Francis has been quiet about her long membership in ... More >>

Scientology Wins Some, Loses Some in our Thursday Stats Roundup!

Scientology Investigation of South Park the Last Straw for Katie Holmes: Aussie Magazine Report

​An Australian gossip magazine is reporting something about Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise which is probably about as reliable as most of the stuff written about Tom and Katie by similar tabloids here in the U.S. So why would we care what a supermarket tab from the other side of the world is say ... More >>

Lloyd Kaufman on Scientology and South Park: Eric Sherman Did Ask Me about Trey Parker and Matt Stone

Kaufman​Just got off the phone with Troma Studios founder Lloyd Kaufman, who says he's been getting a lot of calls since we reported this weekend that he is mentioned in Scientology documents which detail a retaliatory investigation of South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. In 2005, ... More >>

Scientology Responds in Typical Fashion to South Park Investigation Documents

Karin Pouw loves the word "apostate"​As we've been reporting the last couple of days, a man who was once the second-highest ranking executive in Scientology, Marty Rathbun, has made public several documents showing that in 2006, the church attempted to dig up dirt on South Park creators Trey P ... More >>

Scientology Targeted South Park's Parker and Stone in Investigation

Stone (left) and Parker​Another interesting revelation at Marty Rathbun's blog this morning: Rathbun released what he said was an internal Scientology document which suggests that the church targeted Trey Parker and Matt Stone for a classic OSA investigation in retaliation for the infamous Sou ... More >>

Scientology Hates Clean Ice, Part 2: Another Target, and the Web as Weapon

Checked your cubes for bacteria lately?​On Wednesday, we told you about a Scientology "Fair Game" operation that seems beyond the pale: the church, known for its vindictive treatment of perceived enemies, is accused of harassing a business to keep it from bringing to market a potentially life- ... More >>

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

"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 some free t ... 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 >>