16 Shocking Allegations In Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'

HBO The Church of Scientology has long been a controversial institution among both the religious community and entertainment business. But the latest documentary from Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney, "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief," explores the secrets of the organization through interviews with former high-ranking officials and former members in a way never seen before.
Based on the 2013 book of the same name by Lawrence Wright, "Going Clear" not only exposes details about Scientology but also serves as an in-depth explainer for those unfamiliar with the group. The Church has spoken out against the film (read their full statement here) as have its celebrity members. But whether you've studied Scientology closely or merely know it as "the religion with Tom Cruise," watching "Going Clear" is a powerful, stunning and emotionally overwhelming experience that will likely leave you with your mouth agape. Here are the most shocking allegations put forth in "Going Clear," which made its HBO debut on Sunday night:
1. L. Ron Hubbard's Scientology creation story
When Scientologists reach level OT III, they are shown the "secret materials," as director and former member Paul Haggis described them: Hubbard's hand-written account of the creation myth. According to this, 75 million years ago a galactic dictator named Xenu froze people and dropped their bodies into volcanoes. From there, the disembodied spirits, or thetans, apparently jumped into newborns bodies. According to Hubbard, these multiple thetans crowded in our bodies are the source of our anxieties and fears.

2. Hubbard spent time in a black magic cult
Before founding Scientology, Hubbard befriended rocket and chemical engineer Jack Parsons who was a part of black magic cult Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), which followed the teachings of Aleister Crowley. According to "Going Clear," Hubbard became Parsons scribe and assistant on a magical operation to impregnate a goddess-like woman to create the anti-Christ.
3. Members were allegedly thrown overboard as punishment
Hubbard created Ethics, or punishments for his auditors who made mistakes during sessions. They were then pushed overboard on his ships into the water, which was "30 feet, 35 feet" below, according to Hana Whitfield, one of the original Sea Org members.
4. Hubbard told his second wife he murdered their daughter
When Sara Northup, Hubbard's second wife, threatened to leave him unless he got psychiatric help, he reportedly kidnapped their daughter Alexis. According to written accounts from Northup, Hubbard told her he "cut [Alexis] into little pieces" and dropped her in a river. Then he would call back and tell Sara that their daughter was alive.
5. There was a Scientology "prison camp"
Former Church member Sylvia "Spanky" Taylor, who was once the liaison between the Church and John Travolta, was sent to the Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF), or what she described as the "prison camp where you'd go for re-indoctrination." According to the film, when sent to the RPF, people would have to do hard labor for "30 hours on, 3 hours off," eat table scraps and sleep on dirty, wet mattresses.

6. The FBI raid on the Church was the biggest in history at the time
On July 8, 1977, the FBI raided Scientology's Los Angeles, Hollywood and Washington, D.C. locations, which at the time was the bureau's biggest raid ever.
7. The Church stole government documents
According to the film, in the '70s, many Scientologists were directed to get jobs in Department of Justice and IRS offices in order to steal documents against or relating to the Church.
8. The Church apparently has a blackmail folder on John Travolta
According to Wright in the film, when there were rumors of Travolta wanting to leave Scientology, the Church created a "black PR package" that has "all the damaging material" from his private auditing sessions. Travolta also reportedly refused to have his sessions video taped, but secret cameras were hidden anyway.

9. The Church investigated the IRS
One of the Church's goals was to be recognized by the IRS as a fully tax-exempt religion, according to former senior executive of the Church Mark "Marty" Rathbun. Thousands of Scientologists reportedly filed 2,400 total lawsuits against IRS employees, and private investigators were sent to IRS conventions to obtain information. According to journalist Tony Ortega, Scientology leader David Miscavige told the IRS commissioner that the lawsuits would go away if the Church was given tax-exempt status. The Church was granted exemption in October 1993.
10. Tom Cruise and the Church allegedly wire-tapped Nicole Kidman's phone
According to the film, the Church noticed Tom Cruise slipping away from Scientology during his marriage to Nicole Kidman. Cruise reportedly said he wanted to have Kidman's phone wiretapped, which the Church did at his request.
11. Cruise may have had employees pimp his cars for 40 cents an hour
Sea Org members make 40 cents an hour, according to Ortega, who says, "I don't think there's any way Tom Cruise is not aware of that." According to the film, they have "tricked out his cars and motorcycles" and hanger in Santa Monica, California, and installed the audiovisual equipment at his home.

12. The Church supposedly found Cruise a new girlfriend
According to Wright, Cruise was "overheard to complain that he needed a new girlfriend" when he was in Spain at the opening of a new Scientology center. The Church then found a young Scientologist, Nazanin Boniadi, and reportedly had her braces removed, bought her $20,000 of clothes and colored her hair "to Cruise's liking." She was then told she would be Cruise' girlfriend, but the relationship soon ended. Boniadi apparently signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Church and has since become a well-known actress in "Homeland," "Iron Man," among other films and shows.
13. Paul Haggis left because of the the Church's homophobic stance
Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis ("Crash," "Casino Royale") left Scientology in 2009 after 30 years when his two gay daughters told him how they were being treated and harassed by the Church. According to Church doctrines, the religion views homosexuality as a disease. Haggis then wrote a now-famous letter of his resignation from the Church.

14. Scientology's book value is about $1.5 billion
Ortega obtained recent tax records that revealed the main three tiers of the Church (which is a non-profit organization) have a combined book value of $1.5 billion.
15. Sea Org members were allegedly tortured to the sounds of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"
In 2004, Miscaviage apparently ordered the top members of the Sea Org to live in what was known as The Hole in the Chuch's secret Gold Base in California. In the film, former members say they were told to confess their crimes against the Church in order to leave The Hole. Beyond beatings and one man being ordered to "mop up the bathroom floor with his tongue," another method of abuse was when members were forced to play musical chairs to "Bohemian Rhapsody." Those participating were "fighting to stay" in the Church: whoever didn't have a seat when the music stopped was expelled from the Church.
16. If members leave the Church their friends & family are forced to "disconnect"
The biggest reason to not leave the Church for many Scientologists is fear of "disconnection." This is when all friends and family members still with the Church are told to cut ties with those who leave, or those deemed Potential Trouble Sources (PTS), or Suppressive Persons (SPs). Many former members included in the film haven't seen or spoken to their family or friends since they left.
"Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief" airs again on Monday, March 30 at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO.

Charles Barkley Calls Indiana's New 'Religious Freedom' Law 'Unacceptable'

Basketball player Charles Barkley speaks as Fall Out Boy takes the stage at American Express All-Star Live at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for American Express) | Stephen Lovekin via Getty Images A new "religious freedom" law in Indiana has NCAA basketball analyst and NBA legend Charles Barkley calling foul -- and calling on officials to move next week's March Madness Final Four tournament out of the state.
"Discrimination in any form is unacceptable to me,” Barkley said in a statement Friday afternoon. “As long as anti-gay legislation exists in any state, I strongly believe big events such as the Final Four and Super Bowl should not be held in those states’ cities.”
The legislation, signed into law Thursday by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R), does not explicitly mention discrimination against gays or anyone else. Rather, it "prohibits state or local governments from substantially burdening a person's ability to exercise their religion," according to The Indianapolis Star.
But critics say the bill could give businesses a legal foothold to refuse service to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in the name of religious freedom.
Barkley's remarks echo the NCAA's own position, which President Mark Emmert voiced Thursday in a prepared statement.
"The NCAA national office and our members are deeply committed to providing an inclusive environment for all our events," said Emmert. "We are especially concerned about how this legislation could affect our student-athletes and employees. We will work diligently to assure student-athletes competing in, and visitors attending, next week’s Men’s Final Four in Indianapolis are not impacted negatively by this bill."
"Moving forward, we intend to closely examine the implications of this bill and how it might affect future events as well as our workforce," Emmert's statement continued.
Reggie Miller, a former NBA star who spent 18 years playing for the Indiana Pacers, also voiced concerns over the law, sending this message Friday to his 651,000 followers on Twitter:

pic.twitter.com/21LwD5Ie72
— Reggie Miller (@ReggieMillerTNT) March 27, 2015

Many other prominent figures have spoken out against the law, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, likely 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who promptly canceled the company's planned events in the state following the bill's passage.

Inditex bans angora sales worldwide after animal welfare protests

Inditex, the world’s largest fashion retailer and parent company to Zara and Massimo Dutti, has bowed to pressure form animal rights activists and will stop selling clothing made from angora in its more than 6,400 stores around the world.
As part of the company’s commitment, the thousands of fluffy jumpers and angora coats and caps now sitting in its warehouses will be sent to Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
The announcement comes after more than a year of talks with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), which had conducted an investigation into the production of the luxury fibre.
In 2013, after visiting 10 angora farms in China, Peta released graphic footage showing fur being ripped out of live rabbits to ensure the angora fibres were as long and thick as possible. The rabbits, whose front and back paws were tied, screamed and writhed in pain as their fur was torn out. Bald and bleeding, the rabbits were pushed back into cramped cages to regrow their fur until it could be plucked again.
The footage, said Peta, reflected the standard conditions for angora rabbits in China, which today is home to 90% of the angora fur trade. The Peta investigation prompted several retailers, including Marks & Spencer, Topshop and Primark, to stop selling garments made from angora. In an about-face from its 2012 advert featuring Lana Del Rey clad in a light pink angora sweater, H&M also said it would stop selling angora.
Inditex, controlled by founder Amancio Ortega, one of the world’s richest people with an estimated $63bn (£41bn) fortune, initially stayed quiet. After a petition urging an end to global angora sales gathered more than 300,000 signatures online, the retailer said it would suspend its orders until it could verify that its supplier farms were in compliance with company requirements.
Now the company has told the Guardian it will not be resuming its sales of angora. “We found no evidence of cruel practices at the farms providing angora wool to our suppliers,” Inditex said. “But after consultation with animal welfare organisations to explore more sustainable ways to produce angora and help develop better standards within the industry, we have decided that banning angora production was the right decision.”
The Inditex statement was welcomed by Peta. “Inditex is the largest clothing retailer in the world. When it comes to animal welfare policies, many of their competitors look to them and try to follow in their footsteps,” said the group’s president Ingrid Newkirk.

Kerry Washington Found Red-Carpet Kerry When She Wore Louboutin Heels for the First Time

If the shoe fits, Kerry Washington will definitely be wearing it. The Scandal star addressed her appreciation for footwear at the Daily Front Row’s first annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards last night, where she presented Christian Louboutin with the award for Shoe Designer of the Year—and was quick to gush about his designs. What s not to love about Christian Louboutin? His shoes are so elegant and so beautifully crafted, Washington told InStyle. And, he s the best.
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Glowing in a black-and-white graphic top and a contrasting high-waisted skirt that she paired with a black clutch, Dana Rebecca Designs earrings, rings by EF Collection and Melissa Kaye, and (of course!) classic black Christian Louboutin pumps, Washington had nothing but the highest praise for Louboutin and his creations. The actress even credited him for helping her find red-carpet Kerry and giving her confidence in finding her own personal style.
I never really know who a character is until I know what shoe she wears because the shoe you wear defines how you stand in the world and how you walk in the world. And so until I can place the shoe for a woman, whether it s a flip flop or Louboutin, that tells me who she is and how she feels about herself, Washington said before presenting Louboutin with the honor. I discovered [Christian Louboutin] at a time when I was looking for a character that was much more personal. It was a time when I was learning about fashion, and I had relied on a lot of friends to teach me about red carpets because I knew that this was an important part of what I do.
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And so I began an education in fashion, searching for red-carpet Kerry, she shared. Searching for who I am when I m out there in the world standing behind my work. And when I slipped on my first red sole, I knew who I was in this world. I knew how to be bigger than myself and yet still myself. And that s what [Christian Louboutin] shoes do. They elevate who we are inside and out. They make us taller as women in our hearts and in our closets, and we are forever grateful. That red sole is so perfect because it represents blood and love and fire and passion.
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—With reporting by Brianna Deutsch