Proud Defector: Claire Headley On Scientology (Part 1)

A Little Bit Culty

Sarah Edmondson & Anthony “Nippy” Ames

True Crime, Society & Culture, Education

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2024

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/culty and get on your way to being your best self.

In part one of this 2-parter, we feature Scientology defector and whistleblower Claire Headley who spent 30 years in the church isolated from her family and basically any outside influence. Headley was born and bred in England’s Scientology boarding schools, was shipped to the big blue buildings in LA, and then onto headquarters. Thoroughly indoctrinated, she landed at the mother church, Sea Org, where she signed billion-year contracts and rose through the ranks. In this episode, she describes her childhood. She recounts personal tragedies and abuses. She tells us what it’s like to experience the practice of fair game – beginning at age two. And she shares what the nearly intractable clutches of this 100% high-control group felt like. Until her own husband escaped without her, and the proverbial shelf broke. Her almost foiled escape is an action sequence you won’t want to miss.

SHOW NOTES:

Claire Headley escaped L. Ron’s Church of Scientology, bravely emerging from its dark depths to share her harrowing experiences with the world. Since breaking free 18 years ago, Claire has become a prominent advocate for survivors, shedding light on the church's practices, its culture of control, and the struggles faced by those who leave. She’s also continued to be abused by its powerful reach. As President of The Aftermath Foundation, Claire helps others – often with no work experience or family beyond Sea Org – leave Scientology. You can find lots of details at Blown for Good, on Twitter, and YouTube.

There are more ALBC episodes on Scientology:

Leah Remini: Heal That Sh*t: Leah Remini & The Aftermath

One Billion Years: Mike Rinder on How Scientology Could End

Or remix, Scientology SUCKS | Ft. Leah Remini, Mike Rinder, and Jon Atack

Also…Let it be known far and wide, loud and clear that…

The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal, medical, or mental health advice. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast and are not intended to malign any religion group club organization business
0:13.8	individual anyone or anything. I'm Sarah Edmondson and I'm Anthony air quotes nippy aims and this is a little bit
0:31.0	guilty a podcast about what happens when things that seem like a great thing at first go bad.
0:36.0	Every week we chat with survivors, experts, and whistleblowers for real cult stories told directly by the people who live through them.
0:43.2	Because we want you to learn a few things we've had to learn the hard way.
0:46.7	Like if you think you're too smart to get sucked into something culty,
0:50.3	you're already prime recruitment material. You might even already be in a cold.
0:54.0	Oops, you better keep listening to find out.
0:57.0	Welcome to season six of a little bit colty.
1:00.0	Seeking down to the depths of the ocean
1:05.0	hanging on to win my love.
1:09.0	I let go of it all I could leave but I know
1:17.6	everyone welcome back to a little bit culty. We are always going to circle back to
1:21.6	Scientology now and again on this show because in the landscape of the cultiverse
1:25.9	Scientology is very much an active volcano and it has been and it's been in the news a bunch recently thanks to the Danny Masterson rape trial and
1:33.8	conviction and Leah Remini's lawsuit. In case you missed it she followed a
1:37.4	lawsuit just this past August against the Church of Scientology and its
1:41.7	leader David Miscavich claiming she has suffered years of harassment,
1:46.2	intimidation and defamation as part of an organized campaign of retaliation for her criticism of the church
1:52.1	since leaving it a decade ago.
1:53.8	They're kind of the OG cult here.
1:56.0	Yeah.
	...

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