Celebrity endorsements for Scientology's Narconon drug rehab are back!

Wow, how long has it been since we’ve seen a celebrity endorsement of Narconon?

Back in the day, Kirstie Alley was a big supporter, and she was known for her donations to Scientology’s drug rehab network, saying that it had helped her with a cocaine addiction when she came to Hollywood.

But Narconon has been through tough times, shrinking from about 21 clinics in the US to only five today. Over the past decade, we documented numerous patient deaths and dozens of lawsuits as Scientology leader David Miscavige shrank the vaunted rehab network.

Newer additions to the clinic roster tend to be smaller, boutique facilities like the one that was created in Larry Hagman’s old estate in Ojai, California.

Scientology has pitched it as a sort of celebrity drunk tank, catering to VIP clientele. And this week, the Ojai clinic boasted of a visit by a couple of church celebrities.

Michelle Stafford, known mostly for her work in the soaps, has been a reliable Scientology celeb for a long time, and we’re not too surprised to see her schlepping out to the clinic for a photo opp. But Steve Berra is not someone we remember doing much publicity work for the church.

We’ve written about him before, but it’s been awhile so you may not remember it.

Back in 2018, after we had broken the news of the LAPD investigation of Danny Masterson, but before his victims had filed their harassment lawsuit against him and the church (2019) and before Danny was charged criminally (2020), we became interested in Juliette Lewis making noise about Leah Remini going on Jade Pinkett Smith’s Facebook show, Red Table Talk.

Juliette offered to go on the show and give a different perspective about Scientology, which would no doubt be a bunch of vague platitudes that celebrities are trained to spew. We suggested that if she did go on the show, Jada should ask her some real questions, and we had something specific in mind, and it was in regards to one of Danny Masterson’s victims, who became known as “Jane Doe 1” in the lawsuit and criminal prosecution.

In 2018, we were still referring to her as “Victim B,” before the lawsuit was filed and the women became Jane Doe 1 (Victim B), Jane Doe 2 (Victim C), and Jane Doe 3 (Victim A).

Here’s what we said in that 2018, that had the references to skateboard hero Steve Berra…

We’ve told you about the accuser we’re calling [Jane Doe 1], for example, a Scientologist who reported her 2003 rape to the church itself. Scientology responded by putting her through expensive counseling, trying to convince her that being a victim in this lifetime was related to what she had done in her past lives, eons ago.

A Daily Beast article revealed that [Jane Doe 1]’s mother wrote multiple letters to Scientology leader David Miscavige at the time, complaining about the way her daughter was being treated. We have obtained copies of those letters, and they also mention how [Jane Doe 1]’s own young daughter was also affected by the church’s reaction to her allegations.

At the time, [Jane Doe 1] lived just two blocks from Juliette Lewis and her husband at the time, skateboarder Steve Berra. Berra had a daughter from a previous relationship who was so close to [Jane Doe 1]’s family, Berra’s daughter went on family vacations with [Jane Doe 1]’s family.

But when [Jane Doe 1] reported her rape by Masterson to the church, the letter from [Jane Doe 1]’s mother says, Berra was instructed by the church to keep his daughter away from [Jane Doe 1]’s family. The letter says that the family appealed to the church and the children were allowed to see each other again, but then the separation order came down a second time.

[Jane Doe 1] herself was close to Juliette and Berra, but after she made her allegations to the church, she never saw them again.

It is literally impossible that Juliette Lewis was unaware that [Jane Doe 1] had made her rape allegations to the church, or that Juliette’s then-stepdaughter was prevented from spending time with [Jane Doe 1]’s family.

Jane Doe 1 took her allegations to the LAPD, and as a result Juliette Lewis and Steve Berra (who were a couple then) disconnected from her in the Scientology way.

And today, Berra is endorsing a dangerous rehab regimen based on the quack medical ideas of L. Ron Hubbard, science fiction blowhard.

Hip, hip, hooray!

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A special musical treat from Geoff Levin for our subscribers!

Today at noon the folks who help us keep the lights on here at the Underground Bunker — our paid subscribers — are going to receive another very special treat, and we can’t wait to see the reactions to it.

Geoff Levin has already knocked us out with his magnificent tune “Deadbeat Dad,” which was inspired by a certain Top Gun Scientology celebrity, and then the clever Linkin Park-like track, “I’m Brainwashed But I Can Still Rock!” the Minkoff vibes of “Hey, Doc!” a celebration of Dave’s big donors with “Save the Scientology Whales,” the rockin’ “Central Files,” and for the holidays, “A Clear and OT Christmas!”

Well, now he’s back with another original song, and just in time for this Sunday’s big game!

If you’re reading the Bunker for free, we appreciate your participation, and we hope you will consider becoming one of our supporters who pay $7 a month for daily reporting on the Church of Scientology.

And today, at noon, you’ll receive a copy of Geoff’s amazing new track, “The Super Bowl Ad — That’s Bad!”

Just wait until you hear the lyrics!

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Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer sued

Yesterday, a lawsuit was filed against Neil Gaiman and his ex-wife Amanda Palmer by Scarlett Pavlovich, a former nanny to their son whose allegations were part of a Tortoise Media podcast we took part in last year, and then a stunning New York magazine cover story by Lila Shapiro.

Shapiro broke the news of the lawsuit, which was filed in Wisconsin because Gaiman owns a house there, although the allegations are about sexual incidents that happened in New Zealand beginning in 2020.

The word “Scientology” does not appear in the 28-page complaint that was filed yesterday, but because of Neil’s upbringing in the church (he left sometime in the 1980s) and his family’s continuing deep involvement in it, we are still interested in seeing what happens to this case. So we’ll keep an eye on it as it develops.

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Chris Shelton is going Straight Up and Vertical

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Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history

Avast, Ye Mateys: Snapshots from Scientology’s years at sea

Overheard in the Freezone: Indie Hubbardism, one thought at a time

Past is Prologue: From this week in history at alt.religion.scientology

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