Hubbard had 'dual' personality

The Clearwater Sun
30.5.1984

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Church of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard had a split personality that triggered outbursts of anger against church staffers, his former publicist testified Tuesday.

"In a sense he was warm, friendly. In a sense, he could be irrational, erratic," said Laurel Sullivan, a defense witness in a lawsuit filed by the church and Hubbard's wife against former sect archivist Gerald Armstrong.

Ms. Sullivan's description was in response to defense counsel Michael Flynn's questions about Hubbard's behavior in 1978 and 1979.

"As a PR (public relations) person, I had my hands full," she testified.

Ms. Sullivan said she "routinely" needed to console staff members Hubbard chastized in front of others.

The suit was filed by the sect and Hubbard's wife, Mary Sue Hubbard, to regain church documents they allege were stolen by Armstrong. Ms. Sullivan was Armstrong's supervisor in the collection of the documents, which she said were to be used in a biography of Hubbard.

Hubbard left the church leadership in 1966, ostensibly turning control over to his wife. But in her third day of testimony, Ms. Sullivan again said Hubbard continued to run church activities.

Shown a picture she said was taken in 1974, Ms. Sullivan said it was "part of a series going to staff members" to show that Hubbard was still in control of the church.

"It (the series of pictures) was to inspire staff that LRH (Hubbard) was in charge; that he was definitely there on the management scene," she said.

The pictures, which showed Hubbard meeting with staff and reading Telex messages, were part of a promotional campaign to increase church performance five-fold as a birthday present to Hubbard.

Under cross-examination by sect counsel Robert Harris, Ms. Sullivan denied she had lied in a 1976 Florida deposition regarding church policies on "fair game," persons declared hostile to the church.

On Friday Harris read excerpts from the Florida deposition in which Ms. Sullivan said the policies had been revoked in 1968. She has testified in the present case that the practice was not cancelled.

"I left out some important data that I could have said," in the Florida deposition, she said. At the time of the 1976 deposition she was working as Hubbard's personal public relations officer and said she believed the statements to be true.

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