>> True Information: This is a complete fabrication, and shows the ongoing regurgitation of these myths by authors who don’t check facts.

Although Wright attributes this story to interviews with apostates Jim Dincalci, Hana Eltringham and “anonymous” former Sea Org members, this is lifted right out of Janet Reitman’s book (Inside Scientology), who lifted her story directly from Russell Miller’s book (Barefaced Messiah). And the unreliability of Miller’s book is well-documented—he was ordered by a court of law to cease publishing the book and withdraw it from the market. Even British Broadcasting Corporation researcher Margaret Percy, who produced a program on Mr. Hubbard in November 1987, stated that the materials Miller was using were “seriously flawed.”

Mr. Starkey, based upon his personal knowledge as the former Captain of the Apollo during this time, wrote:

“These statements are blatantly false.

“Mr. Hubbard was never confined to a ‘red velvet chair.’ Nor was he ‘screaming and cursing.’  I spoke to Mr. Hubbard several times about ship maneuvers and our travels during this time.

“I also saw Mr. Hubbard on countless occasions during that year—in his office, on the decks of the Apollo and in Apollo Troupe rehearsal spaces aboard the ship and again, I never ever saw him in a red velvet chair. In fact I never ever saw such a chair aboard the Apollo. It did not exist.

“Mr. Hubbard met with the Apollo Troupe musicians aboard the Apollo on dozens of occasions in 1974 and worked with them on arrangements of musical pieces, sometimes late into the night. He traveled ashore that year on several occasions to record the Apollo Troupe musicians in recording studios in several of the ports we visited and, on the island of Tenerife, he went ashore during the day and evening to attend the carnival festivities in Tenerife and photograph the Apollo Troupe activities. Dozens of photographs exist showing Mr. Hubbard working with the musicians aboard the Apollo; talking to staff aboard the ship; recording the Apollo Troupe ashore and visiting the Apollo Troupe performances in Tenerife during the carnival—all taken in 1974.”