In June, we started our experiment with Substack and asked readers to sign up for free emails so our stories would come right to your inboxes. Less than three months later, we now have more than triple the subscriber base we did previously, and you’ve all helped us reach a much larger audience.
But we also wanted to find a way to thank those generous readers who signed up for paid subscriptions, and so we started The Underground Bunker Podcast, and then, last month, a special limited podcast series.
That limited series of five episodes looked at something we’ve been curious about for several years: The potentially explosive television series, produced by Sirens Media, that would have featured L. Ron Hubbard great-grandson Jamie DeWolf as its presenter, and that would have taken an active look at the families ripped apart by Scientology’s “disconnection” policy. Unfortunately, even though the series was ready to air on the A&E network in 2016, it never has.
Our podcast series turned out even better than we were hoping, and today, we’re making all five episodes available to everyone. Here’s what you’ll hear.
Episode 1: Phil Jones. “The whole thing was about a two-year segment in our lives. The thing is, all of it just revolved around us wanting to reconnect with our kids, who were trapped in the cult of Scientology. Everything we did was mainly for that reason. Some, admittedly was to bring as much awareness as we could about Scientology’s practice of disconnection but the focus was always our kids. Hearing the others on Tony’s podcast talk about their experiences, I realized that maybe the added confidence given by having a team of professional camera crews along allowed us all to step a bit further out of our comfort zones in trying to connect with our loved ones. There is safety in numbers, and with cameras, in dealing with Scientology. Mainly though, the podcast about the A&E/Sirens show showed a pretty clear picture of just how cruel Scientology is with its disconnection practice. At this point, I doubt it will ever see daylight. My mind on this has dimmed from hope to wish, but at least I think all of us who participated during that time made at least some impact in bringing the abuses to light.”
Episode 2: Derek Bloch. We first presented Derek’s heartbreaking story — that he joined the Sea Org at 15, but then was kicked out a year later and rejected by his family because he had discovered that he was gay — more than a decade ago at the Village Voice. What would happen when Sirens filmed Derek’s attempt to speak again with his mother? His description of that day, and his stories about what it was like to work with Jamie DeWolf, really affected us. Derek deserved better from his family, and it’s a shame his story wasn’t shown by A&E. “At the time, when all this was happening I was really frustrated. Eventually that gave way to disappointment. Nowadays there are just so many other stress-inducing disasters happening simultaneously that my experience with Scientology seems insignificant. Despite its ultimate failure, I think my experience on this documentary series helped me to close the chapter on that part of my life and move on to bigger and better things.”
Episode 3: Carol Nyburg. Carol’s episode really took us by surprise when she told us the stunning thing that’s happened since her filming, a reunion with her daughter. “My takeaway from listening to all five episodes is that it showed how diverse all the stories are. Everyone is completely different, but all suffered as a result of Scientology’s disconnection policy. Even Jamie’s family suffered horribly and was split and divided; not specifically from disconnection, but from general Scientology craziness. One last comment I must make is about the difference between L Ron Hubbard and Jamie, his great-grandson. Both are brilliant and huge personalities. It’s plain to see how one can use their gifts for good or evil and the results of both.”
Episode 4: Katrina Reyes. We struggled to fit Katrina’s entire story in a single episode. Her saga is simply incredible, as a third-generation Scientologist from Siberia who was brought to the Flag Land Base in Florida and a life of drudgery in the Sea Org. After getting away, her mother remained at the base and cut Katrina out of her life. But with the Sirens cameras filming, Katrina became determined to see her mother at the Sandcastle. Her showdown with Scientology security and local police would have made stunning television.
Episode 5: Jamie DeWolf: After he spoke publicly for the first time about this television series for our podcast, we asked Jamie for his thoughts. Here’s what he sent us.
First off, I’m beyond grateful to Tony Ortega for his indomitable work in finally revealing all of the risks and sacrifices we needed to take to bring this show to life.
Even before we started filming Disconnected, we knew it was going to be one of the most dangerous television shows ever made. There was no real safety net, this wasn’t ‘reality TV,’ this was gritty real, scary real. This was taking on one of the most insidious cults of the century in the open and on the streets. There had never been anything like it.
What I’ve seen with my own eyes is almost unbelievable. Car chases with private detectives, set ups, stakeouts, hidden cameras stashed in bushes, vans circling us stalking our every move, cover ups, Sci ‘black ops’ exposed in the daylight. Filmed all in real time, captured in multiple angles. The whole time I could only keep myself sane by thinking, the camera is our evidence.
The camera was the only thing keeping us safe.
Disconnected was visceral, terrifying, and important. TV has still never seen anything like it.
And you probably never will.
But now you can finally piece together how explosive this series truly was.
How explosive it IS, even now, locked away.
During filming, I never said a word in public. But it ate me alive. And then time went on, with no answers. The worst part was having to move on with the quiet anger, knowing that we put ourselves in the line of fire, and the world never got to see why.
To the families, I’m sorry. I fought so hard on everyone’s behalf. I really did.
What I’ve been through is nothing compared to all those who’ve had mothers, daughters, and sons stolen by the cult. All the family trees severed at the roots. Scientology is the darkest hole on earth, and anyone who thinks that people talk about it just to get on TV has never dealt with it face to face.
I once thought the bad guys can’t win forever.
This is how they try.
One exhaustion at a time: another delay in court, another threat no one hears, another story silenced before it ever gets to print or hits the air. Another show they won’t let you see. All those who paid a steep price to tell their truth are then left to the lions, while others walk red carpets.
But this story is also full of heroes, of individuals without riches or celebrity or law firms, of brave people who stepped forward in the face of the fire and still chose to tell the truth against all odds. Many of them have been doing so before I was even born.
There’s plenty more to this story, and a lot that’s still unsaid. As the host of the show, I was there all the way from the start to finish. I have so much more to tell, and someday soon I hope to get the opportunity to do so. But this podcast is the first to break it open. It’s a damn good start.
We filmed the show because we wanted you to see what we saw. To judge for yourself. To show in full color the simple truth of what journalists and survivors have been saying for over half a century: Scientology is a predatory force that destroys families.
I should know. It destroyed mine, even though we created it.
It took a lot of guts for everyone to speak up on this podcast.
So listen to some of my heroes.
See what real bravery looks like.
— Jamie DeWolf
Thank you for reading today’s story here at Substack. For the full picture of what’s happening today in the world of Scientology, please join the conversation at tonyortega.org, where we’ve been reporting daily on David Miscavige’s cabal since 2012. There you’ll find additional stories, and our popular regular daily features:
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
Random Howdy: Your daily dose of the Captain
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Episode 12 of the Underground Bunker podcast has been sent out to paid subscribers: You may have read our book about Scientology’s insane attempts to try and destroy journalist Paulette Cooper, but we had a delightful conversation with her about her own memoir. Meanwhile, we’ve made episodes 1 through 11 available to everyone, with such guests as Michelle ‘Emma’ Ryan, Jefferson Hawkins, Patty Moher, Geoff Levin, Pete Griffiths, Sunny Pereira, Bruce Hines, Jeffrey Augustine, and Claire Headley. Go here to get the episodes!
Amazing, explosive podcast series.
I highly recommend it.
"But this story is also full of heroes, of individuals without riches or celebrity or law firms, of brave people who stepped forward in the face of the fire and still chose to tell the truth against all odds. Many of them have been doing so before I was even born."
Jamie said it all.