‘Top Gun’ event brings Scientology huge donations from deliriously happy pilgrims
We told you a few weeks ago that the fundraisers at Scientology couldn’t help themselves and they jumped on the Tom Cruise bandwagon, trying to get a piece of that ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ success.
Well, now we get to see the result. We always love to see these lengthy event reports from the church, and we think you like them too. Here’s what happened at the Top Gun extravaganza!
[Key to Scientology codes: Vanguard: $35,000. Humanitarian: $100,000. Silver Humanitarian: $250,000. Gold Humanitarian: $500,000. New Civilization Builder: $1 million.]
What’s that? The Fabos Factor hits ‘Ideal Civilization Builder’? What’s that, $2 million? $5 million?
This planet will be cleared in no time.
Today in Los Angeles: The Bixler case is back
In January, a California appeals court issued a stunning decision that reversed a lower court ruling and ended a long winning streak for the Church of Scientology.
For several years, Scientology had successfully derailed lawsuits brought by former members by claiming that contracts Scientologists sign obliged them to take their grievances to Scientology’s own internal “religious arbitration” and not to a court of law. Three American judges had agreed with this logic, putting lawsuits in limbo.
But then in January California’s 2nd Appellate Division found that Danny Masterson’s accusers, who had sued him and the Church of Scientology for harassment, should not be held to the contracts they had signed while still members in the church. Because the allegations of stalking and harassment had occurred after the plaintiffs had left Scientology, the contracts should no longer apply, the 3-justice panel ruled.
So today is the first hearing back at Los Angeles Superior Court and in the courtroom of Judge Steven Kleifield since his ruling was overturned by the appellate court.
Both sides are asking for a stay in the case, but for very different reasons. The plaintiffs — Chrissie Carnell-Bixler, her husband rocker Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Bobette Riales, and two women going by Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 — want the lawsuit put on ice until the separate criminal case against Masterson is resolved. Masterson is scheduled to go to trial on October 11 for forcibly raping Carnell-Bixler and the two Jane Does, and if he’s convicted he faces 45 years to life. The trial is expected to last about four weeks.
Scientology, however doesn’t want the lawsuit held up for the criminal trial. Instead, it wants the case put on hold while it petitions the US Supreme Court about the January ruling by the 2nd Appellate District.
We expect it’s mostly going to be a technical, legalistic hearing this morning, but we’re interested to see if our observers there note anything about Kleifield having been overturned. We’ll let you know what they tell us.
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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Now available: A bonus for our supporters
In order to thank our subscribers for their generosity, we finally decided to put together something that people have been asking us about for a long time: Yes, we recorded the first Underground Bunker podcast this week. It went out Saturday to our paid subscribers, and features the inimitable Marc Headley telling us some great stories about Scientology leader David Miscavige that we had never heard before. Give it a listen!