Marion Pouw has been a close friend of Ron Miscavige and his family since 1972 when her then-husband worked with Ron in a local band. She was a friend in the religious order with Ron and his family for 40 years, but you wouldn’t know it by how he took advantage of her kindness and by the offensive name-calling he directs toward her in his “memoir.”

But Ron Miscavige routinely treats loyal friends and family like dirt. Case in point is Ron’s ungratefulness for Marion’s efforts when Ron’s beloved brother Red died. Ron took for granted all of the things Marion did for him at the behest of Ron’s son David, who wanted to make sure Ron could attend the funeral to properly honor his brother. 

At David’s request, Marion took charge of all arrangements. David knew that Ron was in a time of need and that having loyal family friends there in Ron’s hometown of Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, would make it easier for Ron to focus all his attention on honoring Red. It was entirely about letting Ron properly grieve and pay his respects to his late brother at the funeral, with friends like Marion by his side to handle any requests.

 

David requested that Marion handle every arrangement, from getting Ron to the funeral on time to finding a new suit for Ron at David’s expense so he would be properly attired for the service out of respect for Red. Just as important, David also wanted to make sure that Red’s family would be cared for in their time of grief and asked Marion to help them as well.

Marion knew David was fond of Red and that Red was extremely proud of his nephew’s accomplishments as the leader of a worldwide religion. Red also was gracious and appreciative of their relationship and the gifts they bestowed on each other over the years. It was David who Red called to say good-bye when his illness had progressed to where he had little time to live. (It is notable that Red did not call Ron.)  Red and David were very fond of each other.   Unlike Ron, Uncle Red was a class act. 

Even though David was out of the country hosting a religious holiday event for international parishioners when Red passed away, he immediately upon hearing of Red’s death began making arrangements.  David personally arranged for and bought Ron and his wife round-trip tickets to visit the family and attend the funeral. He rented his father a car and took care of all arrangements even while he was extremely busy thousands of miles away. Also at David’s request, Marion attended the service with Ron so there was someone by his side to take care of anything his father needed.

Ron paid for nothing. Everything was covered by David. When David found out his father had forgotten to order flowers, a huge floral display was ordered and paid for by David in the name of Ron and his wife.   

Ron paid for nothing. Everything was covered by David. When David found out his father had forgotten to order flowers, a huge floral display was ordered and paid for by David in the name of Ron and his wife. At David’s insistence, it was even larger than the flowers from David and his wife so it would appear that Ron really cared about his brother.

 

Ron traveled to the funeral with all of his expenses paid by David, who took the time to make the arrangements while out of the country. Marion was there offering to do anything and everything for Ron. She even did his and his wife Becky’s laundry, pressed their clothes and cleaned up after them.

Marion was surprised when Ron returned to his old ways while he was on the trip. She found him drinking and mistreating Becky by ordering her around and screaming at her, including one time when all she did was accidentally drop his horn while still in its protective case. At times, Becky was shaking and in tears. Ron also drove recklessly, swore and complained.

After the funeral, Ron complained to his daughters and anyone else who would listen, “Can you believe he didn’t leave me any money?”

Sadly, Ron wasn’t nearly as interested in laying his brother to rest as he was in seeing what money Red might have left him. Instead of being grateful for everything done for him during such a somber, emotional time, Ron instead showed just how callously self-absorbed and disrespectful he is by griping openly about how Red had left him no money in his will. After the funeral, Ron complained to his daughters and anyone else who would listen, “Can you believe he didn’t leave me any money?” Ron’s inappropriate comment was crass and embarrassing.

David paid for the whole visit, which extended into a vacation for Ron and Becky. Again, Marion cared for Ron and his wife the entire time.

 

Later, when Ron and Becky left Golden Era Productions in 2012, it was Marion who traveled to Wisconsin as a family friend to find out what were Ron’s plans, to make sure they were well and to offer them assistance. She also wanted to discuss arrangements David had made for Ron to live in a luxurious resort apartment in Florida with a pool and gym. Ron’s wife Becky made it known that’s what she wanted.

After he betrayed his family by taking off without saying a word, Ron refused to receive any communication or talk to David.  In other words, Ron is the one who severed relations with his family.  

Nevertheless, feeling responsibility for family, David provided for everything.  David even arranged for Marion to personally pack their things and pay for dozens of boxes to be shipped to Florida at a cost of thousands of dollars. But Ron rejected all of it and decided he wanted a home in Wisconsin. So David personally gave $100,000 to Ron so he could purchase the first house he has ever owned mortgage-free. 

David personally gave $100,000 to Ron so he could purchase the first house he has ever owned mortgage-free.  

And when Ron said that he needed medical insurance to cover his expenses and would like David to help him, David made arrangements for his father’s medical and dental insurance, paying the premiums and following it up with $5,000-a-year payments to renew his medical insurance.

 

 

 

In fact, Ron had so many belongings from the generous gifts he had been given over the years, it added up to more than three pallets totaling more than $3,000 in shipping costs.  

Then David through Marion had all of Ron and Becky’s personal possessions packed and shipped to them in Wisconsin. That gesture by itself exposes Ron’s lie about his “escape” when he claims he was forced to mail his possessions in secret to his mother-in-law before leaving so the Church wouldn’t find out. In fact, Ron had so many belongings from the generous gifts he had been given over the years, it added up to more than three pallets totaling more than $3,000 in shipping costs. All of it was packed and shipped for Ron at no cost to him.

Ron routinely stayed in touch with Marion, calling to acknowledge receipt whenever his things would arrive. But being on the receiving end of generosity and friendship isn’t the story Ron wrote in his “memoir.” It’s not how he portrayed his caring and generous son, nor how he portrayed a friend of 40 years in Marion. Instead of describing her as the loyal, dedicated friend she’s been for decades who has done so much for him and his family, Ron insults her in his book by calling her a “top henchman.” It was all about following the party line cooked up by his anti-Scientology friends to make money. Rather than tell the truth, Ron bent over backward to salaciously sell books by trashing anyone and everyone who was kind, generous, selfless and warm toward him.  Here is what Marion says in response, which sums up Ron’s betrayal:

“I find the fact that he references me as a ‘top henchman’ both offensive and insulting. I mean we’re talking a forty-year relationship, a… a close family friend that’s gone out of her way for… and cared for him. And to now depict that relationship in that manner—a friend doesn’t say that about a friend, ever. No matter the circumstances, you just don’t say that. And I find it very insulting and such a gross misrepresentation of the relationship that… that I had with him. He was a friend—he’s not a friend now—but he was a very close friend. I was family. And frankly, I was stunned.”

Loyalty and generosity to Ron is rewarded with smears, insults and obsessive demands for money, whether it’s those to his son or what he expected from his late brother Red. To Ron, money always comes before family.  

That’s the betrayal a 40-year friend gets from Ron Miscavige. Loyalty and generosity to Ron is rewarded with smears, insults and obsessive demands for money, whether it’s those to his son, what he expected from his late brother Red or what he is trying to make by bad-mouthing friends and family.

To Ron, money always comes before family.

Watch the video of Marion and her dealings with him which show the real story, not the one he tells: