Peter Spellos

Here is the press release for my lawsuit against Scientology and David Miscavige, along with my personal statement. Thank you for all the support. It means so much.

One of my favorite scenes. Miss you my Jerry.

I am not a "critic" of Scientology, as some in the press like to refer to me. Movies and restaurants have critics. Critics express their opinions. What Scientology does to its members and enemies is not a matter of opinion. It's seven decades of facts based on L. Ron Hubbard's written policies. Referring to me as a "critic" uses a Scientology talking point to diminish my credibility. I am a survivor and whistleblower. Every former Scientologist who speaks out against this abusive, criminal organization is a survivor and whistleblower.

Two years ago, I had an 8th-grade education thanks to spending 35 years in a cult. Now, I've successfully finished my second year at NYU. Undertaking this educational journey has been one of the most difficult experiences of my life. There are days where I’ve thought about giving up. While I'm still not finished, I'm so glad I decided to dive in. If you have the desire and capacity, please remember that it's never too late to start again.

The two guilty verdicts in the rape trial of celebrity Scientologist Danny Masterson are a relief. The women who survived Danny Masterson's predation are heroes. For years, they and their families have faced vicious attacks and harassment from Scientology and Danny's well-funded legal team. Nevertheless, they soldiered on, determined to seek justice. While it is up to them to decide whether they are satisfied with this verdict, I am relieved that Danny Masterson is facing some justice after over two decades of brutal sexual violence with no criminal consequences. To Chrissie Bixler, whose count ended in a hung jury, I know Danny raped you; I know that Scientology tried to destroy you. However, this case would not have moved forward and resulted in two guilty verdicts if it were not for you. I am sorry you didn't receive a guilty verdict on your charges; you deserved one. But please never forget that justice would not have been served if it were not for you. Although Scientology and its leader, David Miscavige, were not formal defendants, they played a significant role in obstructing justice in this case and other instances of sexual violence. Senior Scientology officials, civilian Scientologists, and their proxies have conspired to silence victims and intimidate witnesses for decades. This case is just the beginning of our plan to hold them accountable. I speak only for myself when I want to thank Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller, Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Ariel Anson, and their staff for their relentless pursuit of justice for the last six years. I want to thank Judge Charlaine Olmedo for her professionalism and for not allowing Scientology's antics to disrupt this trial. While I am often issuing harsh statements against the LAPD, in this case, I want to thank the LAPD detectives in this case. They faced relentless harassment from Scientology as well and kept moving forward. Finally, to the jury, thank you for seeing the truth. Thank you for not allowing emotions to get in the way of cold hard facts. Thank you for showing Scientologists (former and current) that justice is not only possible, but that they should come to expect it. And thank you to all of you who have supported the women who faced hell to fight for justice. Every reply, every retweet, every like...it all mattered.