Scientology lawsuit moves ahead
Dec. 3 - Despite much bickering between the defendants and plaintiffs,
it looks as though a controversial lawsuit filed against the Church of
Scientology and involving John Travolta is moving ahead.
LAST WEEK, Scoop reported that in a suit filed earlier this year in a
California federal court, former Scientologist Michael Pattinson is claiming
that he paid the church $500,000 to "cure" him of his homosexuality.
It didn't work, he says. Among the eye-popping allegations in the suit: that
Travolta's plane was used to "kidnap" a member of Scientology, that
Pattinson and others were forced to work in "a robotic slave-like work
force" to service Scientology celebrities like Travolta, Tom Cruise and
Kirstie Alley, and that Pattinson "reasonably relied upon"
Travolta's marriage to fellow Scientologist Kelly Preston as proof that
"Scientology processing and courses would `handle' my own
homosexuality."
Some readers of Scoop were perplexed and angry -- and let us know that in
their e-mails -- as to why our item about the suit disappeared from the site
before noon. "Where's the beef?" one irate reader demanded.
Here's the story: Not long after the item was posted, Scoop heard from
Scientology officials who insisted that the lawsuit had been dismissed. Well,
it turns out that's not quite true. Actually, the church asked the court to
dismiss the case and bring sanctions against the plaintiffs. The judge,
Christina A. Snyder, denied that request but called the 277-page suit a
"rambling tale of irrelevancy" and told Pattinson and his attorney,
Graham Berry, to file an amended complaint. They did.
Scientology spokesman Kurt Weiland says the suit is "the sort of legal
monstrosity that gives lawyers a bad name" and still insists that the
case will be thrown out. "Anyone who names top-level movie stars and
the Cabinet of the U.S. government in a frivolous lawsuit like this is
either a pathological case or is attempting a criminal shakedown of the
defendants," Weiland says. "Mr. Pattinson has no personal
knowledge about most of what is alleged in the complaint."
"Mr. Pattinson doesn't have to be an eyewitness to all the facts alleged
in order to recover for the wrongs that were done him," counters Berry.
The lawyer is working on a third amended complaint while Weiland and his
colleagues are still hoping to get the case dismissed. Both sides will be
heard Dec. 14 at the U.S. District Court, Central District of California.
"It's far from being thrown out and it's highly unlikely that it will
be thrown out," Berry says. "Mr. Pattinson has a very strong
case."
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