Marion Pouw has been a member of the Sea Organization, the Church religious order, for over 40 years. She has been a friend of the Miscavige family since 1972. Her former husband was a musician and was in a band with Ron Miscavige.
Marion Pouw knows Ron so well, she knows his stories and she knows how he constantly covers up the truth and pretends to be something he is not—caring and interested in others. Ron is only interested in himself and is all around a difficult man, one who can get violent and who can be very very uncaring. Specifically, Marion knows how Ron treats women. One day she was at Ron’s family home and heard a loud ruckus coming from the kitchen. She went to find out what was happening and there Marion saw Ron pushing his then-wife Loretta against the kitchen sink. There were no other family members present, but a mutual friend was there, Quentin McDougal, and he broke up the fight between Ron and his wife. Marion was stunned that Ron would even touch a woman, but he did. Ron was physically assaulting his wife.
…he broke up the fight between Ron and his wife. Marion was stunned that Ron would even touch a woman, but he did. Ron was physically assaulting his wife.
After Scientology counseling, Ron Miscavige treated his wife better, especially with his younger son around who was the moral beacon of the family. But after his younger son left to join the religious order, Ron went back to his violent and immoral ways. That is, until 1985, when Ron was accused of criminal attempt of rape, indecent assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering, criminal trespass and burglary in Pennsylvania. He was arrested and booked on these charges.
Ron had no one to turn to in order to help him after being accused of a serious crime other than the son he now falsely vilifies. Ron’s younger son retained top lawyers to defend Ron. While the Church will not debate Ron’s guilt or innocence regarding these charges, the police report details evidence showing that Ron admitted to being on the premises on the occasion of the crime, that Ron matched the description of the assailant, and further that Ron's car was identified by a witness. A judge eventually dismissed the charges, thanks to the help Ron received from his younger son. As a condition for helping him, Ron’s younger son insisted that Ron agree to join the Church’s religious order to straighten out his life and stay out of trouble. Ron joined the religious order, the Sea Organization, working as a trumpet player at the Church’s Golden Era Productions where he remained for 27 years and, for the most part, kept out of trouble.
Ron had no one to turn to in order to help him after being accused of a serious crime other than the son he now falsely vilifies. Ron’s younger son retained top lawyers to defend Ron. While the Church will not debate Ron’s guilt or innocence regarding these charges… a judge eventually dismissed the charges, thanks to the help Ron received from his younger son.
When Ron left the Church’s religious order at the end of March 2012 from Golden Era Productions, Marion was frankly stunned. Ron had not left a word to anyone, just up and left, and as a friend, she was concerned. He left no phone number or way of contacting him, and no one knew if he was reverting to his old ways or what was happening. Becky, Ron’s current wife, had mentioned planning to visit her mother in Whitewater, Wisconsin, so in April, Marion and another family friend flew out to Whitewater to see if Ron was there and make sure he and Becky were OK. When they arrived, they went to Becky’s mother’s home and knocked on the door. Ron answered and invited them in, happy to see them.
Ron explained what happened, that they had driven out the gate, like they had so many times before, in the car purchased for Ron by his younger son, the same car he still drives today. They went to stay with Becky’s mother. Ron never really explained why he left suddenly except to say he is getting old. Ron and Becky then started telling Marion about the disaster they found, being accustomed to living in a beautiful, clean environment, with top of the line linens, a dry cleaning and laundry facility and impeccable gardens, and that upon arrival in Whitewater it was like something out of the “Hoarders” TV show. There were furnishings and clothing and stuff everywhere in Becky’s elderly mother’s house. They were attempting to clean up the house, because they couldn’t even make their way to the kitchen. And during this time, the mother’s house was badly flooded and was a mess. When Marion asked “do you need some help with something?” Ron said, yeah could you do laundry because all the rugs had gotten flooded and the mother’s clothes had gotten soaking wet. So Marion and the family friend did laundry.
Ron explained what happened, that they had driven out the gate, like they had so many times before, in the car purchased for Ron by his younger son, the same car he still drives today.
Ron appeared appreciative or maybe he was just taking advantage of old friends like he takes advantage of everyone. Marion told Ron that there was an apartment set up for him in Florida and that all of his belongings had been shipped there. It was next to his daughters and his grandchildren. The complex had a gym, a swimming pool and was beautiful. Ron said, “Hey, Marion, did you send my Tumi luggage?” He was interested in the setup that had been provided for him and that it was a beautiful apartment with all these amenities and a nice kitchen (he liked to cook) and it was perfect. Becky was in favor of them moving to Clearwater so Ron could be near the children and grandchildren.
Becky was worried about Ron because he was drinking and getting upset with her at the slightest little thing. She actually wanted help to defuse him. And Marion, knowing his history with his former wife, was worried about his current wife Becky.
Becky was worried about Ron because he was drinking and getting upset with her at the slightest little thing. She actually wanted help to defuse him. And Marion, knowing his history with his former wife, was worried about his current wife Becky.
But Ron procrastinated and could not make up his mind so Marion went back to Los Angeles. Marion next heard from Ron in January of 2013. He called her cell phone and said, “Hey, hi Marion, this is Ron,” as if no time had passed. And he said, “I sent a letter to David and did you read it?” Marion said, “I didn’t read it. I don’t get his mail. That’s not communication to me. I don’t deal with that.” Ron said, “Well, I sent him a letter a week or so ago and I haven’t heard anything. And I’d like to hear back on that letter and I would appreciate if you could check in to make sure that it arrived to him and that he got it.” So Marion said, “Yes, of course, I’ll do that. I’ll pass that on.”
Marion then asked and found the letter had arrived and that Ron had asked to have his belongings sent out to him. These were still in Florida and Marion still had the apartment there for him in the hopes that he would move there. Marion then flew to Florida and packed up all his personal belongings—35 to 40 boxes—which she inventoried and then they went on two pallets. They were sent out to Virginia because Ron was now living with Ronnie, his elder namesake son. He’d moved from Whitewater. It cost the Church over $2,000 to ship Ron’s belongings. While Ron was living with Ronnie, Ronnie was arrested for soliciting prostitution.
It cost the Church over $2,000 to ship Ron’s belongings. While Ron was living with Ronnie, Ronnie was arrested for soliciting prostitution.
The next time Marion heard from Ron was in March of 2013 when they spoke on the phone. The first thing she took up with him was the letter he sent to his younger son. Marion told Ron “It was hostile. This was a nasty letter that you sent and that’s not what a father sends to a son.” Ron’s response to her was “That’s on me, not on him.” She said, “You should send him a kind letter” and Ron told her, “I’ll do that.” He also brought up that he wanted to move back to Whitewater from Virginia, because he said he wanted to have nothing to do with his granddaughter Jenna, the daughter of Ronnie, his older son. And he specifically said it was because she was being hostile to the Church and he wanted to have nothing to do with that. Marion said “okay, that’s a good reason to move away.” At that point he also said, “Marion, you know Becky and I are not connected to any people that are hostile to the family.”
Ron then asked his younger son for “a little help.” He said he wanted to move away from Ronnie and get a home of his own in Wisconsin. He received $100,000 tax-free that he used to buy a house—the first ever that Ron owned free and clear of a mortgage. The gift represented roughly his younger son’s entire inheritance from his mother. The gift was made in hopes that Ron would live out his life in peace. At the same time, his younger son found medical and dental insurance for his father and paid the $5,000 annual premium for several years, even while Ron was secretly writing a vitriolic book attacking him.
The next time Marion heard from Ron was in an email asking for other belongings he had left behind. So she found them, got them all boxed up, and shipped them, which cost another thousand dollars. And that was the last time she heard from him.
But that is Ron, he betrays family, he betrays friends.
After all that help—Marion helping clean the mother-in-law’s home, setting up an apartment for Ron in Florida near his daughters and grandchildren, packing and sending all his personal possessions to Virginia, then his younger son giving him $100,000 to buy a home mortgage-free in Wisconsin—now Ron spreads lie after lie, including about Marion who finds his words extremely insulting and a gross misrepresentation of the relationship she had with him as a close friend, like family.
But that is Ron, he betrays family, he betrays friends.
