The cruise ship Freewinds was a training center for the highest level of Scientology, OT VIII (Operating Thetan Level 8) as well as the venue for Scientology social events, retreats and other levels of OT trainings. The ship has a restaurant, lounge, cabaret, swimming pool, movie theater, spa and an office set aside for L. Ron Hubbard, even though he died before the boat was ever purchased or used by Scientologists. One woman claims it was also a floating prison where she was kept against her will for 12 years.
Former Scientologist Valeska Paris says she was imprisoned on the Freewinds at age 18 to prevent her from leaving the cult. Paris was born in Switzerland, when her parents divorced at age 6 she was put in the “youth wing” of the cadet org at Scientology’s UK headquarters. At age 14, Paris signed a contract committing her to Scientology for “a billion years” as part of joining Scientology’s inner circle, the Sea Org.
Then, Valeska’s stepfather died by suicide, saying Scientology took millions of dollars from him and left him with nothing. After his death, Valeska’s mother began speaking out against Scientology publicly. Scientology leaders including David Miscavige told Valeska that her mother was a suppressive person and she needed to “disconnect” from her.
Valeska was woken up one morning at age 18 and told she had one hour to pack before a plane left to take her to the Freewinds. She was told she would be taking a 2-week trip on the cruise ship but when she boarded, her passport was taken from her. Here’s how she describes her life on Freewinds:
I was ordered to the Ship by David Miscavige to get me away from my mom. I had no forewarning. I was woken 1 hour before my plane was leaving and not able to take any of my personal belongings with me other than a small bag. I was told that I would be at the ship for 2 weeks: I ended up being there for 12 years. I hated it and wanted to go back to Flag. I got in trouble for this and was put in the engine room until I “had a cognition” . I had to report to the Captains office, where Mike Napier yelled at me that I had no choice but to stay on the Ship. I was miserable. For the first 6 months I was not allowed to step off the Ship in case my mom was on one of the Islands to get me! I was also not allowed to take holidays off the Ship. I missed my family terribly and was informed by the Security Chf International that my only choice was to get my family in good standing to come and visit me on the Ship.
Paris was required to do manual labor in the ship’s Engine Room, a job that was so arduous she passed out at least once:
“I was put in this small room by myself with a camera monitoring my movements. A security guard escorted me anywhere I went, I had to eat in the engine room and was not allowed to eat in the control room because it was air conditioned. I was not allowed to work with anyone so I was alone at all times…I was in the engine room for almost 3 months full time. I hated it and just wanted to get off the Ship, I was of course not allowed to call my family at all or talk to anyone.”
“I don’t know if I went unconscious or if I fell asleep but I was cleaning some part of an engine it was extremely loud and I was just out for like four hours and this guy came and shook me four hours later and he said I was unconscious.”
Paris’ account of her time on the Freewinds is corroborated by Ramana Dienes-Browning, a former executive who monitored staff aboard the Freewinds and says when she wanted to leave Scientology, she was also held against her will.
“She made it very clear she did not want to be there. She had been sent to the ship so as not to be in contact with one of her parents and that’s not what she wanted, she was very, very distressed.
I would definitely consider it imprisonment because there was no choice in the matter.”
Paris was able to escape when Scientologists sent her to a reprogramming camp in Sydney. While Scientology says the camp is “a spa-like retreat”, one former member described life at this camp as “living in a rat-infested basement, engaging in degrading jobs for years at a stretch, while denied visits with spouses or children.”
Valeska and her husband, also a former Scientologist she met at the reprogramming camp, speak out against Scientology and David Miscavige including appearing on Leah Remini and Mike Rinder’s podcast to describe her experiences with the cult:
Scientology says Valeska Paris “loved her time [aboard Freewinds] as evidenced by numerous photos.” Creepily, if you Google her name, you can see that Scientology has bought the domain of her legal name in order to embarrass her for speaking out:
Paris says she would like to see David Miscavige face a criminal investigation and actual consequences for what he has done to her and others: “It’s not right for someone to be running the church and basically take advantage of a church and hiding behind religion to live like a king and abuse people around him. That man doesn’t like anyone, he’s a psychopath.”
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