ABC Nightline’s, Martin Bashir interviewed Scientology cult spokesman Tommy Davis (son of actress Ann Archer) last night.

He interviewed ex Scientology members Marty Rathbun, Amy Scobee and Bruce Hines. Ex members Mike Rinder and Tom DeVocht although not present for the taping of the interview, did answer questions for ABC. 

Rathbun and Scobee along with ex members Tom DeVocht and Mike Rinder were recently interviewed by the St. Petersburg Times. Their interviews with the SP Times revealed scathing allegations of  the physical and mental abuse of Scientology members  that they witnessed at the hands of current Scientology cult leader David Miscavige. If you missed it, you can watch it here.

Although there was no mention of why cult leader David Miscavige was not present, Tommy Davis did a pretty wonderful job of looking far from credible. You don’t have to be a body language expert to notice Davis’ constant shifting eyes, how he constantly looks away, the fidgeting with his hair, clasped hands, along with his stuttering to know that he was not too comfortable with the questions that Bashir was asking him.

Bashir and Davis discussed a bunch of allegations levied against the cult, including family disconnection within the cult of Scientology’s Sea Organization, as well as a punishment called the Rehabilitation Project Force aka The RPF for short.

It was great that Davis did not deny that there was an actual RPF within Scientology’s Sea Organization, but Davis claims that the RPF is a VOLUNTARY punishment. This statement sent me through the roof.

Davis said that Sea Org members are put on such a punishment if they fail in their duties. What he didn’t mention, was that a Sea Org member can be put on RPF for something as tiny as looking at someone the wrong way. I also would love to know what Sea Org members would voluntarily put themselves on a punishment which involves lack of sleep, low quality food, not being able to talk to anyone, wearing black clothing to further separate you from others, being shamed, ridiculed, and being forced to run everywhere rather than to walk. The RPF usually means that you will be put on some sort of  manual hard labor which can go into all hours of the night and this punishment can literally last for YEARS.

Just one trip to the ex Scientology kids website will validate these claims about the RPF. Or you can pick up books written by ex Scientology members. Books like The Complex by John Duignan and Blown For Good by Marc Headley(which we recently did an article on) are just two examples of ex members shedding more light on this abusive cult. There is also a new book which just came out, called My Billion Year Contract by ex Scientology member Nancy Many who dedicated for 27 years of her life to Scientology.

Nancy’s book title derives from the contract you sign when joining Scientology’s Sea Organization. You must sign a billion year contract with Scientology in order to join the Sea Org. I kid you not. Click here to see an actual copy of Scientology’s Sea Org contract.

So back to the interview….
The ex cult members that were interviewed, dedicated 20+ years of their lives to the cult, and luckilly were able to escape. Although mentally, they are still suffering. 

One of the MANY things I found VERY disturbing about this interview, was the subject of family disconnection within the Sea Org. The mention of family disconnection itself is disturbing on its own.

But when Bashir asked Davis about Sea Org members who get married, (this is where Davis really starts to squirm) and if there are controls put in place on how often members are allowed to see their families, Davis said “there are “specific policies” that  apply to the RPF which governs what they do and what their schedule is“. Bashir then asks Davis how many times in a week would they be allowed to see their family members and Davis said “he didn’t really know off the top of his head“. 

Why would a spokesman for the “church” not know the policies of his own ”church” after being a member of Scientology for practically his entire life? And when Bashir asks Davis what was a fair guess of how many times a week Sea Org members get to see their family members, and asks if it once a week is correct, Davis said “once a week sounded about right“. Davis also said he thought seeing family members once a week was appropriate. LOVELY “church” isn’t it?

Where or where are the family protective services in all this?

If you are horrified, then please also understand this his statement is not entirely true. It’s worse. Some members can go years without seeing their family. Davis is also referring to Sea Org members whose family members are WITHIN the Sea Org and stationed at the same Org. And even then, members still don’t get to see their family. Davis is also not referring to any Sea Org members who have family members that are not in Scientology. There are people who haven’t seen their children in years. The cult fears outside interaction with family members. They fear that family will try to persuade their members to get out of the cult. To cut off members from their families is of course in pure cult fashion.

Sea Org members who are stationed at Golden Era Productions aka Gold Base in Ca., are not allowed to leave that property at all. Hard to believe that this is allowed to happen in the US today. But it does.

Also what Davis said doesn’t apply to many Sea Orgers that have other family members in the Sea Org stationed elsewhere in other countries. Many of these Sea Orgers are not on RPF, they just will never get the chance to see their family period. Members will never be spared the time to do so, nor can they afford to travel on their .25 cents an hour pay. Besides, Scientology is afraid they will flee.

According to ex Sea Org member Bruce Hines, (who was also physically abused by cult leader David Miscavige) gets a little tearful during the interview discussing his past life in Scientology. There were periods of time that he was not allowed to see his son while he was on RPF. He said at times he would wave to his son from afar if he saw him running by. His son was attending the Scientology school near by. Not being able to see you parents is considered child abuse in my book. Thankfully Bruce’s son also left the cult.

Hines also discusses his divorce and how divorce is encouraged in Scientology, and also the disconnection from other family members he still experiences today. How sad is this? 

Another one of the ex members being interviewed was Marty Rathbun. He mentioned that cult leader David Miscavige owned a beagle dog, and that Miscavige ordered a custom made military type outfit to be made for the dog complete with epaulettes. Rathbun also stated that if members didn’t salute Miscavige’s dog, then there would be big trouble. And if the dog barked at any member, than that member was considered to be “out ethics”. Amy Scobee also confirmed this claim . And a little visit to the Why We Protest site revealed a comment by BFG aka Blown For Good, aka Marc Headley, in which he also talks about Miscavige’s dogs. Here’s the snipette from WWP:

In terms of the dog – there was actually at least 4 of them. Safi, Jelly, Lucy and Daisy. Lucy was the one that did the barking at “out-ethics” people.

The dogs DO travel with Dave. They at least went to Clearwater all the time. These dogs make Paris Hilton’s dogs look like ghetto strays. Clothes, special food, People to walk them and pick up their crap and take care of them. Those dogs easily have more money spent on their weekly food than 10 RPFers combined!

So correct me if I am wrong…. but it sounds like Miscavige’s dogs live and eat better than the Sea Org members? And the cult spends MORE money on these dogs then their own Sea Org members?
Who by the way are the very people who have to take care of these spoiled mutts. Talk about utter DISGUST and OUTRAGE.

ABC stated that members of Scientology wrote several affidavits denying that Miscavige was an abusive person and that Rathbun was the abusive person. Of course members and staff will do what they are told to do, or suffer the consequences. Rathbun does not deny that he was abusive, but blames Miscavige for  his actions.

Speaking of cult leader David Miscavige, where is he? He is the current leader of this so called “church”, so why wasn’t he interviewed?

Perhaps his last defensive interview with Ted Koppel back in 1992 was all he can manage with his “busy” schedule.

You would think now more than ever, that Scientology members would want some reassurance from their “leader”. (I use the term VERY lightly)  But Miscavige seems to be MIA. Rumors are, that Miscavige is seeking refuge in Columbia. With all the pending court cases against Scientology, ex members speaking out and with more members leaving, it’s clear that Miscavige is not the “church” leader that he professes to be and is hiding. What could possibly be his excuse for not granting another interview for over seventeen years now? Hiding on Scientology’s Tone Scale is VERY low. *snicker*

Back to wonder boy…

But wait, there’s more…

Well, well looks like Bobby Brown has packed on the pounds. Bobby
and his double chin will be sweating it out on “Celebrity Fit Club” scheduled to air in 2010.

According to TMZ, he will be joined by cast members from “High School Musical”, “Baywatch” and “The Practice,” which will include Shar Jackson, Nicole Eggert, Tanisha Thomas, Casey Stroh, and Michael Badalucco. Is this the best Celebrity Fit Club can come up with?

I wonder if Bobby, who has always been tough to handle (to say the least) will succumb to the grueling boot camp and all the rules of “Celebrity Fit Club.” Many “stars” *cough* before him, like for instance Dustin (a-hole) Diamond aka “Screech” of “Saved By The Bell” fame, did not fair too well and had too much of an attitude to be on the show and ended up leaving.

Bobby’s track record of being an abusive crack smoking husband 
married to Whitney Houston (although she is not innocent by any means) certainly has crushed his popularity over the years.

Bobby better decide if he still wants to use his “My Prerogative” attitude or man up and stay on the show.

I happen to catch Bobby on D.L. Hughley’s show one night, and he sang My Prerogative, (it WAS a kick ass dance song) or I should say, he attempted to sing it. It was SO bad, it was painful to hear. His years of drug abuse, alcoholism and cigarettes really reeked havoc on his voice. It was totally shot. Don’t get me wrong, I do not have one smidgen of sympathy for this man.

His years or partying, abuse and just being an all around IDIOT have really caught up to him.

A Young Bobby Brown Back In  The Day

It's anyone's bet whether or not Brown will show up on "Celebrity Fit Club." The man can not seem to stay out of trouble. After all... he has been juggling living at two different homes over the years. *snicker*

But then again, ”reality” tv shows have to film their shows way in advance, so maybe this show has already wrapped?  Who knows. I just may have to tune into Celebrity Fit Club this time around, just to see Bobby sweating his butt off and being told what to do.

Will Whitney be at home watching with a big tub of popcorn? I only hope she will be tickled silly over getting to see a little pay back 
served up to Brown, rather than her cheering him on, because I never want to see Whitney, or anyone for that matter, looking like this again.

Crack is Definitely Whack!

To be fair, Bobby wasn’t all to blame for their insane relationship. It takes two to tango don’t forget. (geez! I sound like my Dad)
They were total partners in crime. And she should have left long ago. And of course Brown has always said that he never did cocaine before Whitney came along. HIS WORDS. Yeah ok.

I just know that I saw Whitney go from a vibrant and beautiful singer to an abused and skinny drug abuser after the two of them hooked up.

Their reality show they did together, “Being Bobby Brown” was short lived and a disaster, and Whitney ended up paying a huge price for standing by her man.

Now I was never a Whitney Houston fan, “I Will Always Love You,” has always pierced my brain, but she does have a beautiful voice. Even though her music is not my style, I do hope her recovery continues and that “The Voice” is able to get more of it back.

Her recent appearance singing on “Good Morning America” in Central Park and her talk with Oprah had her fans out in droves. Houston’s interview with Oprah was a far cry from her raspy voiced  interview with Diane Sawyer on Prime Time  (part 1) back in 2002, which is where her infamous “crack Is whack” quote came from. It was beyond obvious that she was in much denial, and very defensive. And Here is Part 2 of the interview, where she talks about her past missed appearances, drugs and actual footage of their marriage to Brown along with their 800 guests in her $40,000 wedding gown. 

In that interview, Whitney and Bobby were already married for 10 years and at that time she said she didn’t want to let go of Brown. I am just glad, as well as her fans, she finally did let go of him.
Bobby ends up joining the interview later on and denied he ever hit her and he said he was diagnosed as being bi-polar and denied all other drug use except smoking pot. *snicker* (Here are parts 3, 4, and 5 of that  2002 interview  if you are interested.)

Whitney’s recent interview with Oprah was like night and day in comparison to the interview with Diane Sawyer back in 2002. She looked like Whitney again. Finally Whitney came clean about the drug abuse, Bobby’s physical abuse and his infidelity and how her mother saved her life with an intervention and valiantly had Whitney removed from her house and forced her into rehab. Thank you Mom!

Her recent performance on GMA in Central Park definitely showed how much her voice has suffered from years of ”partying” and it was quite obvious that she wasn’t able to sing all the parts of the song and she seemed quite winded.

Rumors have it that ABC “digitally sweetened” her songs as reported by Gawker. But  it didn’t matter to her fans one iota, who seemed very elated to see her and were there to support her. Whitney is very fortunate that so many of her fans have never left her side.

Now back to Bobby…

Bobby’s fans? He has never had anywhere near as many as Whitney to begin with, and the ones he had, I think have totally given up on him for the most part. Partly because he has dropped out of the music scene long ago and because people blamed Bobby for ruining Whitney’s life. 

The man has always been his own demise. So your guess is as good as mine as to what the future will hold for him. My gut feeling is that he isn’t done abusing himself or others and he may stay clean for a while, but I don’t know how long that will last.

He is destined for a meeting with karma somewhere down the line, and he’s the only one who can change that.

The Late Jasmine Fiore and Her Alleged Murderer Husband, The Now Late Ryan Jenkins

Reality show, Megan Wants A Millionaire has been officially cancelled. The show which was taped last year, had seventeen millionaires trying for the chance to be picked as a love interest for reality show ditz Megan Hauserman. Megan was previously on Rock of Love, Beauty and the Geek and I Love Money, AND Charm School. She is known for being a giant biotch and in her own words, aspires to be a trophy wife, which was why she was looking for a millionaire.

Ryan Jenkins, picture circled above, was one of the seventeen millionaire contestants. Megan and her “special needs” dog Lilly, starred in the show, but this season’s episodes ended abruptly when Ryan, whose net worth was two million dollars, became a suspect in his wife’s murder. Huh?

Let me explain…Ryan was one of the final contestants in Megan Wants A Millionaire. And of course as you know, these shows are taped WAY in advance, so when you see the show on TV, it is MONTHS after the filming for the show has already wrapped. After the shows filming was over, Ryan met and married Vegas model/actress Jasmine Fiore who he met in a Vegas casino. They married TWO DAYS after they met. Obviously Megan did not pick Ryan as the winner, and boy did she ever dodge a bullet.

Ryan also had trouble with the law this past June after a domestic violence incidence with his wife Jasmine, resulting in a misdemeanor count of battery. Too bad they didn’t hold on to Ryan when they had him. The two reconciled and were headed for a trip to Vegas for a poker game and checked into the L’Auberge Del Mar hotel. Ryan was seen checking out the following morning ALONE. The next day Ryan reported that Jasmine was missing. It was the last trip Jasmine ever took.

Jasmine’s badly beaten and crushed nude body was found strangled and stuffed in a suitcase with her fingers and teeth removed. The suitcase was found in a dumpster in Buena Park Ca. It is assumed, the cutting of her fingers and removal of her teeth was an obvious attempt to thwart off discovering Jasmine’s identity, but that ended when she was identified by the serial numbers on her breast implants. At the risk of sounding crass…and I don’t mean any disrespect, and I apologize in advance — but I guess fake boobs are good for something after all.

Jasmine’s mother said that the couple had argued frequently and Ryan was jealous of Jasmine’s ex-boyfriends. That jealousy unfortunately reared its ugly head in a huge way and ended a 28 year-old’s life.

Authorities said Ryan was headed to Canada where he was born. From an earlier snippet from Eonline,when this story was first unfolding:

Sheriffs in Washington’s Whatcom County, the northernmost, border-sharing county in the state, found Jenkins’ car near an empty boat trailer at a marina. They also had a report of a man of his description arriving by boat in another nearby location, from which they believe he walked across the border.”

But then the tides turned and the manhunt ended when Ryan was found dead in a hotel room. I hate to say karma is a bitch…as I say it in SO many of my articles… but if the shoe fits….

More from Eonline:

The manhunt for murder suspect Ryan Jenkins is officially over. Canadian police found the former reality star dead in a hotel room this afternoon, E! News has confirmed. 

Authorities have not yet released an official cause of death, but police say the 32-year-old died of an apparent suicide. He reportedly hanged himself.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police found his body in a motel room in Hope, British Columbia, a town 84 miles east of Vancouver.

The death ends an international manhunt for the Megan Wants a Millionaire finalist, who fled to his native Canada on foot last week.

“The sadness of all this is that Mr. Jenkins will not be standing before an Orange County jury for his crime,” Buena Park Police Lt. Steve Holliday said in a press conference last night.

The manhunt for murder suspect Ryan Jenkins is officially over. Canadian police found the former reality star dead in a hotel room this afternoon, E! News has confirmed. 

Authorities have not yet released an official cause of death, but police say the 32-year-old died of an apparent suicide. He reportedly hanged himself.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police found his body in a motel room in Hope, British Columbia, a town 84 miles east of Vancouver.

The death ends an international manhunt for the Megan Wants a Millionaire finalist, who fled to his native Canada on foot last week.

“The sadness of all this is that Mr. Jenkins will not be standing before an Orange County jury for his crime,” Buena Park Police Lt. Steve Holliday said in a press conference last night.

“Megan Wants A Millionaire” was immediately yanked after only a few episodes aired. And of course it was before you can find out who Megan picked. Ryan was slated to go on the third season of I Love of Money, and then that show was also canceled.

So what did VH1 have to say about all this?

VH1 was quoted by the Washington Post:

 ”Ryan Jenkins was a contestant on “Megan Wants a Millionaire” — an outside production, produced and owned by 51 Minds, that is licensed to VH1.”

Hmm, so who didn’t do their homework here? I guess 51 Minds has some explaining to do? One has to wonder just how indepth these background checks were of the seventeen contestants prior to the show? Just because you are a millionaire doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be fully screened. The name Phil Spector comes to mind.

Or perhaps 51 Minds is off the hook, especially if Ryan had no prior history of violence. Seems odd though that this would be the first time that he ever lashed out at a woman. People like this usually have a history of abuse. I wonder if any other cases of abuse will come forward and shed more light on his past. It’s also possible he could have hired an accomplice. A man with his financial means could very easily have done so. It’s also being reported this gruesome story will unfold further, as more evidence is brought forward concerning one of Ryan’s cars.

So where is Megan in all this? 

Did the producers of 51 Minds put her in harm’s way? I’d say so. She probably had to sign all sorts of waivers before doing the show, so they would not be liable for anything, but this case is certainly frightening and has highly unusual circumstances, and if she has the right lawyer, as they say…. contracts are made to be broken.

So perhaps Megan will become a millionaire herself now via a lawsuit?  If not for negligence by the producers for putting her in harm’s way, but perhaps financial loss? She must have lost out on a butt-load of cash from the royalties from the show? And there will also be no reunion show. This has also put a big dent in any residuals that she would have received from the show marketing, like photos or appearances with her newly selected millionaire. Maybe VH1 had a spin off show on the horizon for Megan’s life with her new millionaire. Maybe it’s still forth coming. After all she did pick someone. But who?

Yeah.. I know how fake all this reality stuff is, and only one couple in the history of reality shows has ever stayed together. Fans are probably wondering what will happen. I am not sure how all this works, but it seems like there is a lawsuit in there somewhere.

Although this women makes me cringe, and as much as I can’t stand her with her shallow ideals and the way she speaks with EVERY one of her “S’s” overly enunciated until it sounds like steam escaping – which hurts my ears — I wouldn’t wish any harm to anyone.

Looks like Megan made the right choice in not picking Ryan. Which is why Megan is still alive today and thankfully her dog Lilly still has her Mommy to care for her. Perhaps Megan can now pursue her dream of helping “mentally challenged dogs”, which is what she said she would do with the winnings if she won the “I Love Money” show that she was previously on. She has of course, lost that chance. 

Megan once mentioned that her adopted dog Lilly jumped out of her arms when she was puppy and fell and that the fall could have contributed to Lilly’s state of mind today. Megan has said that she also jumped out of her mother’s arms when she was a baby. Hmmm… that explains a lot.

Megan has had troubles with many women in the past, including Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy. The two got in an awful tiff over a lousy comment that Megan had made about Sharon’s ”Prince of Darknesshubby. Even before then, Sharon was not too tickled with the likes of Megan. When Sharon hosted Charm School, she was quoted as saying:

“”She does have a pretty damn good body, but no f***ing brain. Her brain is between her legs.”

Yikes… Well maybe Megan is some how humbled by this experience. Perhaps she has learned that money is in fact the root to all evil? NAH!!

We recently reported on a four part series from the St. Petersburg Times which was called the Truth Rundown.

The series featured first-hand accounts from four ex-Scientology members who were former top executives in the cult. They came forward to tell their stories of beatings, mind control, “over-boarding“ and a sadistic game of musical chairs headed up by Scientology cult leader David Miscavige.

In the wake of that ground-breaking report, this Sunday’s SP Times delivered another round of body-blows to the embattled cult and its violent leader, David Miscavige. Eleven more ex-Scientology staffers have come forward with their stories of more beatings, abuse and family disconnection, as well as a host of eye-witness accounts corroborating the details given in the first series. While we deeply encourage you to read the full report, we will warn you, it is very difficult to read these first-hand accounts of abuse and violence perpetrated by David Miscavige.

Jackie Wolf, Gary Morehead, Steven Hall and Mark Fisher are ex-staffers from within the Church of Scientology. These individuals were inspired by the SP Time’s coverage of the last four top executives who risked harsh and litigious retributions to share their experience, and have come forward themselves with more harrowing reports.

Also Jeff Hawkins, Bruce Hines, Shelly Corrias, Russ Williams, Mark and Claire Headley were all quoted in the SP Times article. These people were in the cult for decades and their stories are rife with more beatings, and accounts of the “RPF“. The RPF stands for Rehabilitation Project Force. It is a punishment given to Sea Org members for perceived slights against the Church or its leader, David Miscavige, these individuals are termed “out ethics”.

Sea Org members can be put on the RPF for the smallest infractions, such as disagreeing with David Miscavige, not reaching your “quota”, or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Once placed in the RPF, your life in the Sea Org, which by all accounts is already miserable, becomes exceedingly worse. You are forced to run everywhere at all times, you eat a lesser quality of food, you must wear black t-shirts so as to identify your lowered status and other members can not speak to you and you can’t speak unless spoken to. Humiliation and breaking one’s spirit are big components of the RPF and sadly, we are only merely skimming the surface of the RPF. There is even an RPF to the RPF – we can only begin to imagine the tragic life of those who are forced to endure this outcast life on the fringes of the cult’s secret world. There are reports of over boarding and a practice called the ”Cause Resurgence Rundown.” Cult defectors Marty Rathbun and Mike Rinder were quoted in the SP Times Article about this cruel regimen:

“You run around a circular track, at your own pace, until you reach a point that “you have a realization that you’re in control of your own body and mind.” The whole thing was about getting a thetan (spirit) centered and getting all of his energies straight,” Rathbun said. “Miscavige immediately turned it into a torture.”

The whole thing was about getting a thetan (spirit) centered and getting all of his energies straight,” Rathbun said. “Miscavige immediately turned it into a torture.”

Rinder recalls being sent to the track with others to run until they had a “cognition,” a realization. It was supposed to be about something in their lives — but instead of focusing on themselves, the runners tried to divine what Miscavige wanted to hear so he would end their punishment.

“That was all sort of a joke,” Rinder said. “What cognition are you supposed to have that will now satisfy Dave? … People spent years trying to figure that out.”

The SP Times asked Morehead how he can recall something that happened to him 15 years ago, and his response really hit home.

“It’s just like you remember when you touch a hot stove,” he said. “You’re never going to do it again, right? It hurts, there’s pain …

Of course the SP Times reported that the cult denies these accusations, as usual:

Church spokesman Tommy Davis said the new defectors’ accounts of physical abuse by Miscavige are “false and categorically denied.”

“It is clear that these new ‘accounts’ were stirred up by your recent articles,” Davis said in a written statement, “and are nothing more than the ranting of anti-Scientologists on the grassy knoll of the Internet corroborating each other.”

How long can the cult say that these ex members are just  “disgruntled” and that they are telling lies?  As more and more ex cult members step forward and tell their stories, Scientology will find it very hard to stop the avalanche of testimonies, court cases and personal accounts of crime and abuse. With this current SP Times article and “the list“  of 500 plus ex cult members who have spoke out  that continues to grow which  showed up on  the Why We Protest forum, and all the current pending lawsuits against the cult, one has to wonder why law officials world wide are still dragging their heels in launching a giant investigation. 

I say wake up world, ex-cult members are speaking out and it’s been a long time coming. Hats off to all the brave those who have spoken out and continued hope to all those who will finally find the courage by the strength in numbers and come forward to end the silence and fear of Scientology’s reign of terror.

We urge you to go the SP Times website and read the article in its entirety, as we barely touched what was mentioned in their coverage. Glosslip applauds SP Times writers Joe Childs and Thomas Tobin are two brave men who keep chipping away at Scientology and bringing to light the crimes and abuses of an organization parading around under a religious cloak.

Please write a letter of thanks and support for the SP Times writers. JOE CHILDS and THOMAS C. TOBIN Joe Childs, Managing Editor/Tampa Bay, ran the Times Clearwater operation dating to 1993 and supervises the newspaper’s Scientology coverage. He can be reached at childs@sptimes.comThomas C. Tobin has covered the Church of Scientology off and on since 1996 and he can be reached at tobin@sptimes.com

As always, if you need help leaving Scientology, or you just need someone to talk to, please call 1-866-XSEAORG. This is a toll free call.

Scientology’s last remaining sentries are trying desperately to discredit the disturbing, illegal, and immoral allegations being lodged by ex high-ranking officials who’ve finally agreed to speak out against the Church’s leader David Miscavige, but in doing so, the Church is also revealing their own twisted and warped process of terror.

When I first began investigating the Church of Scientology I was overwhelmed with information. The hierarchy and structure of the organization is designed with deception and prevarication at its core. A side effect one might suggest from running an organization designed solely to dupe followers out of large sums of money. When running a ponzi scheme of this magnitude, it’s essential to keep people in line and in check, and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and later sucessor David Miscavige, used fear, manipulation and psychological and physical intimidation to keep staffers close and “on board” with the game plan. And the game plan was to create a world dominate organization which dispensed pseudo-spirituality, while creating billions and billions in profit.

Two names which surfaced time and time again as I researched and spoke with critics and ex-members alike were Miscavige’s high-ranking cronies, Mike Rinder and Marty Rathbun. When I asked my most inside sources how to track these folks down, I was hit with “no way, they will never talk, they know too much and were too deeply entrenched in the most nefarious of Scientology’s illegal actions.”

Time has changed since then, and now with the safety of numbers in their favor and perhaps an internal need to right their wrongs, these two men are speaking out, and even more telling is Scientology’s official response to their heady allegations against Miscavige and Scientology.

From the St. Petersburg Times:

This account comes from executives who for decades were key figures in Scientology’s powerful inner circle. Marty Rathbun and Mike Rinder, the highest-ranking executives to leave the church, are speaking out for the first time….

Rinder and Rathbun speak:

Now they provide an unprecedented look inside the upper reaches of the tightly controlled organization. They reveal:

• Physical violence permeated Scientology’s international management team. Miscavige set the tone, routinely attacking his lieutenants. Rinder says the leader attacked him some 50 times.

Rathbun, Rinder and De Vocht admit that they, too, attacked their colleagues, to demonstrate loyalty to Miscavige and prove their mettle.

• Staffers are disciplined and controlled by a multi­layered system of “ecclesiastical justice.” It includes publicly confessing sins and crimes to a group of peers, being ordered to jump into a pool fully clothed, facing embarrassing “security checks” or, worse, being isolated as a “suppressive person.”

At the pinnacle of the hierarchy, Miscavige commands such power that managers follow his orders, however bizarre, with lemming-like obedience.

• Church staffers covered up how they botched the care of Lisa McPherson, a Scientologist who died after they held her 17 days in isolation at Clearwater’s Fort Harrison Hotel.

Rathbun, who Miscavige put in charge of dealing with the fallout from the case, admits that he ordered the destruction of incriminating evidence. He and others also reveal that Miscavige made an embarrassing miscalculation on McPherson’s Scientology counseling.

• With Miscavige calling the shots and Rathbun among those at his side, the church muscled the IRS into granting Scientology tax-exempt status. Offering fresh perspective on one of the church’s crowning moments, Rathbun details an extraordinary campaign of public pressure backed by thousands of lawsuits.

• To prop up revenues, Miscavige has turned to long-time parishioners, urging them to buy material that the church markets as must-have, improved sacred scripture.

Church officials deny the accusations. Miscavige never hit a single church staffer, not once, they said.

On May 13, the Times asked to interview Miscavige, in person or by phone, and renewed the request repeatedly the past five weeks. Church officials said Miscavige’s schedule would not permit an interview before July.

At 5:50 p.m. Saturday, Miscavige e-mailed the Times to protest the newspaper’s decision to publish instead of waiting until he was available. His letter said he would produce information “annihilating the credibility” of the defectors. Beloved by millions of Scientologists, church spokesmen say, Miscavige has guided the church through a quarter-century of growth.

Scientology’s response:

The church says that Rinder, Scientology’s top spokesman for decades, is an inveterate liar. In its ethics files, the church says, Rinder admits that he lied 43 times over the years.

“It was a real problem, Mike’s propensity to lie ….Obviously he had an issue with the truth,” said Davis, Rinder’s successor as spokesman.

After denying Miscavige hit him or anyone else, Rinder is lying now, Yingling said. “He left because he was demoted … He is bitter now and he has in his bitterness latched on to the one allegation he so vehemently denied for so many years.”

Added Davis: “One of the things he was known for saying was, ‘Well, if I’m so bad, why keep asking me to do things?’ You know the answer to that question?… The ultimate answer to that question is ‘Mike, you know what, you’re right. Why keep asking.’ And we stopped asking. And then he left and nobody came for him.”

Like the other defectors, Rinder says he’s sure he wrote whatever is in the ethics files, but he says the admissions are meaningless, they were just whatever his superiors wanted to hear. “All of these things were written to try and get into good graces or curry favor.”

Davis said Rinder has not been able to deal with his fall from spokesman for an international church to his current, workaday job.

“Mike left. I think we can all agree he is bitter,” Davis said. “This is a guy who ran with the big dogs in the tall grass … it’s a very exciting life. And now he is selling cars, and it must be a hell of a shock.”

The church released numerous pages of files it kept on Rathbun. Among them: a 1994 letter that said he had completed a Truth Rundown — one of many types of confessionals — and apologizing for leaving the church briefly the year before; three confessions for striking and verbally abusing staff dozens of times; and documents where he admits that he mishandled situations.

In a 2003 document, Rathbun writes a “public announcement” detailing two decades of flubs, including: making himself out to be more important than he was, making more work for Miscavige, mismanaging staff and messing up major assignments, including the church’s long-running battle with the IRS.

Rathbun says he wrote what Miscavige wanted to hear.

The church made special note of an affidavit dated June 6, 2009 — after the Times asked the church about Rathbun — authored by a Sea Org member whose name the church blacked out. She criticized Rathbun for being violent and abusive and playing a role in her family’s recent effort to wrest her out of Scientology.

Rathbun says yes, he tried to help the family, because the woman voiced strong doubts about returning to Scientology.

Like De Vocht’s, many of Rathbun’s confessions are marked by bountiful praise of Miscavige. He writes, for example, that the leader “single-handedly salvaged Scientology.”

Scientology’s international management cadre lives and works on the church’s 500-acre compound in the arid hills opposite Mount San Jacinto from Palm Springs.

Rathbun orchestrated a “reign of terror” there in 2002 and 2003, church representatives say, masquerading as an ethics officer while Miscavige was in Clearwater handling legal and other matters. They say the leader returned in late 2003, summarily demoted Rathbun and began to clean up his mess.

Rathbun says he was away from the base for almost all of 2002 and 2003, handling lawsuits and other sensitive matters at Miscavige’s behest. When he returned to the base in late 2003, he said, it was Miscavige who had established a “reign of terror.”

The church said Rathbun has inflated his importance in Scientology; they say that after 1993, he never had a title.

But in a 1998 Scientology magazine, Rathbun is featured as the main speaker at a major event at Ruth Eckerd Hall attended by 3,000 Scientologists. The magazine said he was “inspector general” of the entity charged with safeguarding Scientology. Also, the church provided the Times a court document from March 2000 that listed Rathbun as a “director” of the same entity.

If Rathbun’s responsibility was as limited as the church says, the Times asked, how did he get people to submit to a reign of terror? Davis, the church spokesman, erupted.

“He’s the one who’s saying that Dave Miscavige beat these people,” Davis screamed. “And he’s saying that Dave Miscavige beat the exact same people that he beat. And that’s what pisses me off. Because this guy’s a f—— lunatic and I don’t have to explain how or why he became one or how it was allowable.

“The fact is he’s saying David Miscavige did what he did … And now I’m getting a little angry. Am I angry at you? Not necessarily. But I’m g– d— pissed at Marty Rathbun. Because he knows that he was the reign of terror.”

I am only pasting partial excerpts from Part 1 of the series to illustrate what is so obvious to those looking from the outside in. Scientology, despite being run by an evil genius, can no longer continue to defend itself. It’s defectors, risking incriminating themselves for heinous crimes, are coming out and saying “Yes, these events happened. I witnessed them and yes, I took part in them.” Even more ironic, those of us who’ve followed the unraveling have heard these stories retold many times by lesser ranking individuals, and in fact, I have interviewed several of the people who were abused themselves, including Jeff Hawkins, Marc Headley and Maureen Bolstad. Sadly, the stories of abuse are not new to me, but the level of individuals coming forward to lend credibility are monumentally important.

Miscavige’s mouth-piece, Tommy Davis, already known for having a hair-trigger temper and a face which buckles under the weight of his own lies, may finally break down and completely lose it. No one man, despite his fervent loyality, can withstand the pressure of keeping this many lies straight. If men like Rinder and Rathbun are willing to come forward and take responsibility for their part in abusing members and breaking the law, there is virtually NOTHING Miscavige, Davis or Scientology’s billions in ill-gotten gains can do to prevent the flow of truth from spewing forward.

From my perspective, it’s all over but the crying.

Stay tuned for more on this story.

In what has to be the most effed up celebrity trial in the history of man, famed music producer Phil Spector was found guilty of 2nd degree murder after shooting actress Lana Clarkson in the face at his home in 2003.

Virtually all the evidence in the case pointed to Phil Spector having murdered Clarkson in cold-blood, but as is always the case in our non-justice driven judicial system, Spector and his team of hell-bound lawyers tried to argue Clarkson shot herself. In the face no less.

Please excuse me, one of my eyeballs got stuck from an involuntary roll.

So, now, 6 years later, including a mistrial, Spector, a well-known gun nut, woman-abuser and crazy recluse will see some deserved justice. More from CNN:

Wearing a black suit with a red tie and pocket square, Spector showed no reaction as the verdict was announced. Now 69, he faces a sentence of 18 years to life in prison when he is sentenced May 29.

Asked if he agreed to the sentencing date, Spector quietly answered, “Yes.”

Spector’s wife, Rachelle, was in the courtroom to hear the verdict Monday, as was Clarkson’s mother, Donna.

Clarkson, 40, was found dead, slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector’s Alhambra, California, mansion with a gunshot wound through the roof of her mouth in February 2003.

A mistrial was declared in Spector’s first trial in September 2007. After deliberating 15 days, jurors told Fidler that they were unable to reach a verdict. Spector was also charged with second-degree murder in that trial. Jurors deadlocked 10-2 in favor of conviction.

In closing arguments at the retrial, prosecutor Truc Do called Spector “a very dangerous man” who “has a history of playing Russian roulette with women — six women. Lana just happened to be the sixth.”

Weinberg argued that the prosecution’s case hinged on circumstantial evidence. He said the possibility that Clarkson committed suicide could not be ruled out.

Prosecutor Alan Jackson said he believed the jury reached the correct verdict, and he acknowledged the strength and backing of Clarkson’s family. But defense attorney Doron Weinberg said Spector’s defense team disagreed and planned to appeal.

“We don’t believe justice was done,” Weinberg said.

Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler declined to allow Spector to remain free on bail pending sentencing, citing Spector’s years-long “pattern of violence” involving firearms.

“This was not an isolated incident,” Fidler said, noting Spector’s two previous firearm-related convictions from the 1970s. “The taking of an innocent human life, it doesn’t get any more serious than that.”

When the first trial ended in a mistrial it was then that I realized famous people, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, will be found innocent more often than the average non-famous person. This alone, is enough to make me completely distrust our judicial system. The fact that Spector’s defense team continued to maintain that Clarkson was suicidal and chose to end her life in the home of a person she just met was the rancid icing on the cake.

Clarkson’s family were instrumental in getting justice for Lana and continued to push the prosecution to force a proper trial through the system. My condolences to them and appreciation for their help in getting this piece of crap off the streets.

While it’s true Phil Spector was an important part of rock ‘n’ roll history, producing acts as diverse as the Beatles, The Ramones, Ike and Tina Turner and his ex-wife Veronica “Ronnie” Bennett (Ronnie Spector). Unfortunately, his history of threatening behavior of artists and girlfriends alike, were merely the opening to his final act: murder.

Spector, at age 69, with the likelihood of spending at least 18 years in prison, will hopefully rot in his cell for the remainder of his life. Thanks for the music, enjoy eternity in hell you crazy m-effer.

Appearing in a Los Angeles courtroom yesterday was Chris Brown, who decided that it would be in the best interests of all if he decided to plead not guilty to the beatdown he gave Rihanna:

Nearly two months after police found his girlfriend, the pop star Rihanna, bloodied and bruised on a Hancock Park street, Brown appeared in Los County Superior Court and pleaded not guilty to charges of felony assault and criminal threats. The 19-year-old spoke in a voice so low that many of the three dozen journalists who had waited an hour for the hearing to begin were unsure if he had even answered Judge Patricia Schnegg’s inquiry.

The judge told lawyers to return to court April 29 to set a date for a preliminary hearing but said Brown does not have to attend. The entire proceeding took less than two minutes, surprising some members of Brown’s entourage who filed into the courtroom as the arraignment was ending.

Outside the courtroom, a lawyer for Rihanna said there were ongoing plea negotiations between Brown and prosecutors.

“I believe there are efforts by all of the parties to resolve the case expeditiously and fairly,” said the lawyer, Donald Etra.

He said the 21-year-old was willing to testify against Brown, but hoped that a deal would be reached before trial so “she can get back to her life and her career.

“She would be pleased if this is over quickly,” he said.

Well, Rihanna, this probably won’t be over that quickly unless the behind-closed-doors negotiations between your lawyers and Chris’ lawyers goes very well.

Her father, for his part, wants to know who beat up his daughter if Chris didn’t do it:

After hearing the news that Chris Brown pleaded not guilty after being charged with allegedly beating his daughter, Rihanna’s father, Ronald Fenty, told Usmagazine.com exclusively that Brown “needs to stop being in denial” about what he did.

“So what happened? Somebody else did this to Rihanna then?” Fenty told Us. “I just would like to see justice go in the right direction.” [...]

“I don’t want his career to be damaged — it’s damaged already,” Fenty told Us Monday. “I think he’s a talented guy, but everybody should have to pay. When you do the crime, you do the time. I don’t want to see him locked up for a long time — I just want him to acknowledge and get some help.”

If Brown claims to be not guilty, Fenty wants to know who is responsible.

“Who did it — that’s the question now,” he said. “If he’s not guilty, who did it? He should say ‘guilty’ and let the court be leaning into him and try himself to the mercy of the court, see if he gets a fine…”

He added: “Now he’s going to go beyond that and it could go longer, it can be even worse. It can be worse for him in the long run.”

He’s quite an understanding guy, that Ronald.

Well, all we can do now is wait for either the trial to start or for an agreement to be reached…although it does occur to me that pleading not guilty might not be the best thing Chris could have done.  If he really wants to get out of this, I suggest he fire his lawyers and hire a group of his most fanatical fans, because they obviously can come up with a zillion reasons as to why Chris is totally innocent and Rihanna is a no-talent skanky disease-ridden ho.  I’m sure they realize that no-talent skanky disease-ridden hos deserve a beatdown now and then.

Oh, one last blurb:

He has apologized for the Feb. 8 incident and said he was seeking counseling from his mother, pastor and others.

Including the watercraft sales guy.  He’s just a fount of relationship advice.  When you feel like slamming your girlfriend’s face into the window, just take a buzz around the water, and your frustrations magically vanish!

Finally, Oprah and I are on the same page, at least as far as Rihanna is concerned. The Big O said that Rihanna should take some time out and “heal yourself first, love doesn’t hurt. If a man hits you once, he will hit you again.” Amen sister.

Fortunately for Chris Brown, the always wise and diplomatic k wrote about last week’s hearing in Los Angeles, where Chris Brown did NOT enter a plea on the two felony charges brought against him for the February 8th altercation between he and girlfriend/singer Rihanna. Because had I written about it, well, there would have been more expletives, less wisdom and WAY more hostility (and likely more spelling and grammar errors, but who’s counting.)

Here’s the thing, I thought Chris Brown was a massive jerk BEFORE I read the official statement from Rihanna stating what went down (read statement after the jump), but AFTER I read it, only one thought came to mind: Chris Brown’s going to hurt Rihanna again, and the next time it will be much, much worse. Next time, she’ll be dead. What Brown did to Rihanna was in the Ike Turner realm of domestic abuse. This was no slap fight or war or words, this was the real deal. When you heap on the public humiliation and the felony charges, Chris will hold nothing back when he takes it out on Rihanna. Oh how I pray I wrong, though I know I am not.

All I need to know about Chris Brown’s capacity to improve can be found in the way he’s handled this crisis from the beginning. First he left the scene, leaving his girlfriend, the woman he claims to love, bloody, bruised and alone. Brown’s second snafu was releasing the most poorly executed excuse for an apology since Bill Clinton claimed he never had sex with that woman. This, after waiting almost a week to do so. To add insult to injury, Brown was then seen out having a grand old time with nary a care in the world, while making clandestine arrangements to meet with Rihanna, despite her family’s request he let her alone.

To sum it up, Brown hasn’t acted like a man attempting to make amends and do what’s best for the woman he beat the living hell out of, but rather, Brown’s acted like a man out to salvage what’s left of his career. While I am usually the last one to suggest anyone listen to Oprah’s often pretentious advice, it’s nice to see at least one celebrity step up to the plate and say it like it is. Kudos to you Ms. Winfrey.

Brown’s a violent young man, with violent tendencies, who has been escalating his violence throughout his relationship with Rihanna. We already know that Rihanna has shown a serious lapse in judgment by her willingness to see Brown so soon after the violent altercation, but as rumor becomes reality, it seems she is now unwilling to press charges and is making steps towards getting back with him. She does so at her own peril

The recidivism rates for domestic abusers is high, with at least 1/3 returning to their abusive behavior AFTER completing treatment programs, and as high as 1/2 repeating the behavior who HAVEN’T been treated, and here’s the clincher: The men most likely to return to violence are on average younger, report alcohol problems, score higher for narcissism (excessive self-involvement) on psychological tests, and have longer histories of pretreatment violence.

We know Chris has shown major narcissistic tendencies (plus he’s a celeb), he’s young (only 19) and has a history of domestic abuse and prior assaults in his background. Rihanna, the cards are stacked against you, it’s not a matter of if, but when and how violent will the next assault be. Rihanna, you aren’t just letting your family and fans down, but yourself. Any self-respecting person knows when to walk away from a hurtful situation. Please, PLEASE rethink your decision. Don’t take my word for, talk to living legend Tina Turner, she’ll set you straight. In the meantime, I won’t be buying any of your music until you come to your senses. I hope your other fans follow suit.

But wait, there’s more…