My guest today grew up in Scientology's Sea Org, a division of their cult that had her shoeless and separated from her family, doing hard labor for no pay by ten years old. Katherine Spallino's strong will and frustration with being punished for being human finally led her to escape Scientology's grip, despite having no one to help her and having to leave what she knew of her family behind.

We talk about her experience, what could drive a mother to abandon her child into the greedy arms of a cult, and how Danny Masterson's rape victims were written up--one example of a massive coverup of abuse and suppression of justice. My guest is the author of The Bad Cadet: Growing Up in the Church of Scientology's Sea Organization:

"At age six, Katherine Spallino is separated from her parents and sent to train for her future in the Church of Scientology’s clergy—the Sea Organization. Naively happy at first, she thinks it’s a fun adventure to live in a Scientology-owned dorm room in Los Angeles with thirteen other girls, rarely seeing her parents and never going to a normal school. She’s committed to her Scientology studies and her life’s purpose of clearing the planet.
Later, Katherine is sent to live at a secluded ranch with other young prospective Sea Org members, called cadets, where she studies Scientology and does manual labor—weeding fields, digging trenches, and working in the galley. The indoctrination escalates, and her family slips even farther into the background. But as she enters her teenage years, a host of new, more immediate concerns emerge—namely boys, popularity, fits of rebellion, and fantasies of what else life has to offer.
As the Sea Org beckons, the fundamental question intensifies—should she commit herself to the church, or reject everything she’s ever known for a chance at a different life?" I so admire Katherine's bravery and willingness to speak up against the continued abuse happening right in front of us.

Current scientologists looking to escape scientology can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, Text START to 88788 or visit https://www.thehotline.org/ They will help you get out and connect you to needed resources.