Ronald Edward "Ron" DeWolf (born Lafayette Ronald Hubbard Jr.; May 7, 1934 – September 16, 1991), also known as "Nibs" Hubbard, was the eldest child of

Scientology Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious movement. The most recent published census data i ...

's founder L. Ron Hubbard by his first wife Margaret Louise Grubb, and highly critical of his father and of the Church of Scientology.

Early life

In his 1983 interview with '' Penthouse'' magazine, DeWolf said he was born

premature Premature may refer to: * ''Premature'' (2014 film), an American comedy film * ''Premature'' (2019 film), an American romantic drama film * '' PREMature'', a 2015 British television drama miniseries See also * Premature aging, of an organism * ...

ly at after surviving an early abortion attempt; his father constructed a makeshift incubator with a shoe box, later a cupboard drawer, some rubbers, and used blankets and an electric light bulb to keep the baby warm.

Relationship with his father

Hubbard, Jr. claimed to have helped his father in the early days of Scientology but later rejected his father and Scientology, quitting in 1959 and changing his name to Ronald DeWolf. On November 6, 1982, in a

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire and ...

, court, DeWolf sued for control of his father's estate, saying that his father was either deceased or incompetent. His reclusive father was proven to still be alive, although he never appeared in court.

Comments about his father

In 1981 DeWolf wrote his autobiography ''The Telling of Me, by Me'', which he never published. After detailing how his father taught him the occult, he comments: In the mid-1980s, DeWolf gave several interviews and made sworn statements about his father's history. He explained that his father had been "deeply involved in the

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism ...

and

black magic Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 1 ...

Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley (; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the prop ...

's death in 1947 was a pivotal event that led Hubbard to "take over the mantle of the Beast". "Black magic is the inner core of Scientology", DeWolf said. "My father did not worship Satan. He thought he was Satan." "99% of what my father ever wrote or said about himself is totally untrue", DeWolf said in a TV interview in 1983. That same year, he told ''Penthouse'' magazine that his father was a KGB asset and a

drug addict Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use of ...

who claimed to be

Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehoo ...

incarnate. According to DeWolf, his father was so close to embattled actor Errol Flynn, that Hubbard regarded Flynn as DeWolf's adoptive father, and that together Hubbard and Flynn engaged in such illegal activities as drug smuggling and

statutory rape In common law jurisdictions, statutory rape is nonforcible sexual activity in which one of the individuals is below the age of consent (the age required to legally consent to the behavior). Although it usually refers to adults engaging in sexual ...

. Speaking on WDVM in Washington, DC, in 1983, on the Carol Randolph ''Morning Break'' show, he compared Sea Org with the Nazi SS, and described drug importation operations he alleged his father had been involved in, citing organised crime connections in Mexico and Colombia. In his opinion Scientology was little more than a

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal ...

that existed to make money.

Sued by Mary Sue Hubbard

In 1984, his stepmother Mary Sue Hubbard filed a $5-million suit for fraud against DeWolf for his 1982 suit to gain control of L. Ron Hubbard's estate.

Biography of L. Ron Hubbard

DeWolf was named as co-author with

Bent Corydon Bent Georg Corydon (born June 11, 1942) is an American author and journalist. Corydon is the author of the biography '' L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman?'' first published in 1987. Corydon also restored and runs the YMCA Building, a historic bu ...

of the 1987 edition of a highly critical book about Hubbard and the Church of Scientology titled '' L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman?''. Prior to publication, he sued the publisher

Lyle Stuart Lyle Stuart (born Lionel Simon; August 11, 1922June 24, 2006) was an American author and independent publisher of controversial books. He worked as a newsman for years before launching his publishing firm, Lyle Stuart, Incorporated. A former pa ...

, claiming breach of contract, and that his contributions were misrepresented. He retracted his negative comments about Hubbard and the church in submitted court

affidavit An ( ; Medieval Latin for "he has declared under oath") is a written statement voluntarily made by an ''affiant'' or '' deponent'' under an oath or affirmation which is administered by a person who is authorized to do so by law. Such a statemen ...

s, in which he called the biography "inaccurate and false", and demanded to have his name removed from the book. Affidavit filed with the Federal District Court of New Jersey He said he was denied the opportunity to review the book until it was already in print. In '' A Piece of Blue Sky'' former Scientologist Jon Atack writes: In the updated revision of ''L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?'', which no longer listed DeWolf as co-author, Corydon comments: Claims that DeWolf was paid for his statements have not been proven or refuted.

Death

DeWolf died of

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

complications in 1991. He was working as a security guard at the Ormsby House Hotel Casino in

Carson City Carson City is an independent city and the capital of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,639, making it the sixth largest city in Nevada. The majority of the city's population lives in Eagle Valley, on t ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

, at the time of his death.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:DeWolf, Ronald 1934 births 1991 deaths People from Encinitas, California American amputees Critics of Scientology Deaths from diabetes American former Scientologists L. Ron Hubbard family People from Carson City, Nevada DeWolf family