What really happened with the L. Ron Hubbard biography

[SME]

As many people know, Omar Garrison was working on a biography of L. Rom Hubbard back in the early 1980s that was completely sanctioned by Hubbard and by organized scientology.

In fact Gerry Armstrong was actually assigned to and working with Omar back then with the approval of both Hubbard and organized scientology. And, Gerry was part of that Mission Corporate Category Sortout (MCCS) mission that was run by Miscavige with Gerry’s primary part of it being to assist Omar with his research so that the biography could be written.

I remember going to Los Angeles from the Guardian’s Office World Wide in England and meeting Gerry when he was on that mission. Gerry showed me around, including showing me the twenty-some sets of file cabinets that included Hubbard’s own files to be used in writing the biography. I remember talking with Gerry then and coming away with the knowledge that he was really into this, was a really good guy, was very knowledgeable and really wanted to get the biography written.

Well there is a great deal of published information of what happened next after Gerry found out how false Hubbard’s claims about himself were and how false statements from organized scientology about Hubbard’s “accomplishments” were. Needless to say Gerry was abused when he pointed this out and had to flee for his own safety. Decades of litigation, harassment and other abuses by organized scientology against Gerry have still not stopped Gerry from speaking out the truth and doing the best he can to defend himself and loved ones.

But outside of two postings I have done on XSO and entrubulation.org previously and some small mentions I have included in another post and in my affidavit, I have never seen anything written covering what actually happened with the biography Omar was writing on Hubbard. As XSO is not a public forum and as enturbulation is down for the moment, I thought I would again put this on the record, this time with some more details.

Omar actually completed the biography and wanted to have it published or at least be paid for same. The title was “L. Ron Hubbard – His Life, His Loves and His Letters”.

In late 82/1983 a meeting was held with Hubbard’s representatives from “Author Services” and Omar about the finished book and it was a disaster with Miscavige blowing up and Omar refusing to deal with him.

Suddenly Miscavige and those who did his bidding at Author Services were confronted with the fact that Miscavige and his people totally blew the meeting with Omar and it was very possible that Omar would go elsewhere to get the book published. The main trouble with that for Miscavige was that the book was truthful and a complete embarrassment to both Hubbard and organized scientology.

One thing Miscavige knew at that point is that his abusive style of dealing with others was not going to work here and he suddenly needed someone without an abusive nature to negotiate with Omar and get the rights to the book from Omar.

I and Vaughn Young were picked for this task. A meeting was quickly set up for this negotiation between Omar and his attorney on Omar’s side and myself, Vaughn and three of Hubbard’s top attorneys on “our” side. The attorneys were Sherman Lenske his brother Steve Lenske and Barry Litt. The meeting was held at the Lenskes’ law office.

The entire day was set aside for this negation by all parties.

I remember how seriously Author Services was taking this as it was about to become a huge flap for them because of Miscavige’s inability to deal with people in a sane fashion when things were contentious.

The three attorneys, Vaughn and I got together early for the meeting to go over last minute preparations. I had spent most of the previous day getting briefed on their failed meeting, what we would be willing to pay and “drilling” with my junior in Special Unit Heber Jentsch to prepare for my talking with Omar.

Barry Litt was advising me to stay calm if Omar started insulting us or Hubbard or organized scientology in general as it did come up in the meeting with Author Services causing them to blow up and lose any chance of getting the book rights from Omar. I told Barry not to worry as things like that did not affect me, that I didn’t “hate” Omar and that I just wanted this done successfully. I told him in a joking fashion that he would lose his cool well before I ever would so he should just watch out for himself and not me. I mentioned this as we were tested on this very point in the meeting which I thought was funny and which I will cover later.

Omar and his attorney showed up and we began the meeting in the morning. It went all morning, through a big lunch and most of the afternoon. Bottom line is that it got very hostile between the attorneys from both sides. Omar then started getting very critical of Hubbard and scientology and said words to the effect that all scientologists were brainwashed with present company (Vaughn and I) excepted. I thought that was funny actually. Omar was pretty smooth.

Then Omar dropped “the bomb”. He said that Hubbard and organized scientology were criminals, they abused the courts and had even paid off judges. He used as an example the then recent probate case that Hubbard ended up winning against his son Nibbs. Omar said that Hubbard’s legal representatives in that case were incompetent and should have lost the case due to their incompetence. He said that the only reason that they did not lose the case was that the judge was paid off.

The whole time Omar was talking about this case I was biting my lip trying not to laugh. That was because Barry Litt, the attorney on my right, was the main attorney arguing that case for Hubbard. Sure enough Barry jumps up and shouts to Omar “Now wait a minute” and starts to say how wrong Omar was. I had to kick Barry’s leg hard under the table to get him to sit down and shut up. I found that funny as Barry had just earlier briefed me how I had to keep my cool and it was he that blew up just as I had joked he would.

I took this as the right time to call a temporary halt to the meeting and asked Omar to walk with me out of the room. Omar complained bitterly about the attorneys. I told him that I was sure we would work out something fair today and get it all done. We had a very nice and friendly chat alone.

Then we broke for lunch at a really fancy restaurant and I just kept it pleasant. I had Omar pick the wine for us as he was a self proclaimed wine expert (I know Sea Org at lunch with wine – go figure!!!).

Anyway after lunch we resume the meeting at the Lenskes’ office and finally get a deal worked out. I got from Omar exclusive publishing rights as well as ownership of the manuscript with what was supposedly the only copy. We signed a contract with Omar that day and I paid him. I forget how much it was but I think it was low six digits.

I then drove to Author Services with the contract and the manuscript and turned it over to Norman Starkey for Miscavige. Again, the title was “L. Ron Hubbard – His Life, His Loves and His Letters”.

The book was killed right there and then never to be seen again.

I now regret that we were successful here as so much truth could have been out about Hubbard some 25 years ago that was suppressed, never to be seen. At the time I actually did not know the great depth of the lies about Hubbard promoted both by him and organized scientology.

I just thought it would be good if this were now in writing publicly.

Larry Brennan - SME
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[SCIE-NO-MO-]

Thanks, Larry. One more of the small mysteries solved for me. I always thought that Garrison's information and research was somehow turned over to Russell Miller and turned into "Barefaced Messiah". Can you fill me in on how Miller got into writing the book, what other than academic curiosity drove him, do you know?

[SME]

[caroline]

Cool post, Larry. Gerry will be interested to read it too.

I recently put up some trial testimony of former LRH Pers PRO Laurel Sullivan about the Garrison contract. She talked about your part on page 3076. Reporters' Transcript May 24, 1984

Omar testified in Armstrong 1 as well.
Reporters' Transcript May 9, 1984 at page 1190

Reporters' Transcript May 30, 1984 at page 3590.
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[brownjedi]

Larry you always have very interesting posts. You my friend need to write a book...but keep the rights!

[Fanboy The Great And...]

what always personally amazes me is that, if hubbard was such a great guy, how come such legal actions have always been taken to repress his life story from reaching the public?

Of course, the truth is simple, but.... oh well.
_________________
"Of course he went by Ron; who would have
taken a guy named Lafayette seriously?"

"Scientology is only about convincing the able they're crippled,
and lying to the crippled with the promise of making them able."

[magoo1]

Great post! I agree, Larry---your posts are always SO fantastic,
as they fill in the many holes many of us lived with, for soooo many
years. Thank you!

Re:

[programmer_guy]

This is an interesting story because, as I remember, Omar's first book on Scientology that I read many years ago was mildly favorable to Scientology. Am I wrong about this?

[4truth2]

PG, we both read the same Omar Garrison book, which was titled "The Hidden Story of Scientology".

I read it back in 1985, a few months after I got involved with Scientology. It was mildly critical of Scn, but overall favorable to it.

Unfortunately, it fed into my perception at that time that Hubbard was a persecuted humanitarian. Well, we ALL (well, almost all) of us know better now. But it certainly makes me want to see a true bio of Hubbard and Scientology.

4truth2/Larry
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"In a time of universal deceit - telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
George Orwell

[SCIE-NO-MO-]

SME, Did you ever read the manuscript and if so, what was your reaction then to the differences between the scino propaganda and the facts? Was that the beginning of the end for you? And from your memory, was there any information that has not otherwise come out? What happened to Omar Garrison later on?

[no_8c_now]

Larry,

Thanks for the very informative post. I never knew that the biography had gotten to that stage of almost being printed.

I read the story of Gerry coming across all this material on Hubbard and getting an okay to use it for a biography. I've wondered why if it contained so much damning info about Hubbard and evidence of a fraudulent life then why was it even still around and why would Hubbard allow it to be used? Seems the evidence would have been tossed long ago. Or was he just so vain that anything connected to him was too valuable to destroy?

It certainly has come back to bite them in the ass many times over and will continue well into their decline.

[SME]

[SME]

[Sponge]

I love this stuff It's like the characters of a history book have come to life to tell you the details and backstory of what actually happned rather than someone elses assessment/summation.
Thanks Larry.
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[programmer_guy]