Photo appears to confirm small Scientology service for Kirstie Alley at Flag Land Base

We like to brag on Sunny Pereira, one of our favorite correspondents at the Underground Bunker, who has given us many good pieces over the years describing what it is like to grow up as a second-generation Scientologist, what it was like to work at the Hollywood Celebrity Centre, and what it is like to have your family ripped apart by Scientology ‘disconnection.’

Most recently, she came to us with something really startling: An inside source at the Church of Scientology who was sharing with her real-time information about what Scientologists were saying in the aftermath of Kirstie Alley’s shocking death to cancer at only 71.

Since then the public has heard a lot about Scientology and the “OT” levels (Kirstie was OT 8), about Scientology and the medical profession and about cancer in particular, and about Scientology’s dwindling celebrity ranks.

And many news outlets jumped on something we posted the day after Kirstie’s death was announced that we got from Sunny and her source: That Scientologists themselves were being told that only a small, private memorial for Alley would take place at Scientology’s Flag Land Base in Clearwater, Florida, and nothing at all at the Hollywood Celebrity Centre, where Kirstie had been such a big presence earlier in her life.

Sunny herself wrote a poignant piece about that yesterday, and it generated a lot of interesting reactions online.

But we also wanted to follow up on the other thing we had heard, about a small service at Flag.

One of our eagle-eyed readers spotted what looks like confirmation that it occurred, just as Sunny’s source told us.

The photo was posted by Clearwater Scientologist Terri Novitsky, and it was an image of her and a minor Scientology celebrity, actress Denice Duff. (See above.)

Novitsky erased her original caption and, apparently thinking it wiser to be more circumspect, posted this description: “Clarification: Special weekend with Denice Duff and other friends honoring another friend.”

Our reader who spotted the photo told us there was no question at all where the two of these prominent local Clearwater Scientologists were standing: The ballroom at the Fort Harrison Hotel, centerpiece of the Flag Land Base. The photo was posted on Sunday.

“Looks like Kirstie's service happened this past weekend with everyone sworn to secrecy,” our reader said. “That's definitely the Flag Ballroom. I still have bad dreams about that place. There wouldn't be any other ‘service’ happening there.”

And here were some reactions from other local Scientologists who apparently also attended:

Considering how rare such an event would be at the Flag Land Base, and the timing, and the people who attended, we can be pretty certain that they are referring to the small private service held for Kirstie Alley at the hotel ballroom.

And once again, we are grateful to Sunny Pereira for all that she brings to the Bunker. As ever, her information about Scientology is spot-on.

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