UPDATE (8/4/23):
The Church of Scientology has fired back at actress Leah Remini, who announced earlier this week that she planned to sue them, along with their head, David Miscavige, over harassment and defamation claims. In a statement, the group labeled Remini a “horrible person” and a “bigot”, adding that her claims are out of “pure lunacy.”
The Church of Scientology also remarked that Leah Remini is actively against free speech, saying, “Remini’s complaints are like an anti-Semite complaining about the Jewish Anti-Defamation League for exposing the anti-Semite’s bigotry and propaganda…The Church is not intimidated by Remini’s latest act of blatant harassment and attempt to prevent truthful free speech. If Remini does not believe in free speech, then she should consider emigrating to Russia.”
Further, their spin tried to take the position that her words are harming both the actress and the organization. “Remini’s obsession with attacking her former religion, by spreading falsehoods and hate speech, has generated threats of and actual violence against the Church and its members as evidenced by multiple criminal convictions of individuals poisoned by Remini’s propaganda.” And of course they couldn’t help but go after Remini’s career. “All the while, Remini has profited handsomely from her fabrications, through the sale of hate books, hate podcasts and paid-for tabloid hate television…If Remini can no longer get a job, she has nobody to blame but herself. Obviously everybody in Hollywood now knows what we already knew: That Remini is a horrible person and toxic to so many who have the misfortune to come in contact with her.”
We’ll have to see how it all pans out, but it does seem the Church of Scientology has just added statements that Remini might have useful in her case, wherever it may go from here.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE (8/2/23):
Actress and former member of the Church of Scientology Leah Remini is suing the religious group / cult, leader David Miscavige and others, citing consistent harassment and defamation over the course of more than 15 years.
As per the official release, Leah Remini is taking on Scientology, Miscavige and Religious Technology Center, Inc. (which allegedly “enforces Scientology’s punishment orders”) like no other celebrity before, with The King of Queens actress seeking “compensatory and punitive damages…Scientology has inflicted on her and her career”, in addition to a cease and desist order.
As Remini posted on Instagram on Wednesday, “While advocating for victims of Scientology has significantly impacted my life and career, Scientology’s final objective of silencing me has not been achieved. While this lawsuit is about what Scientology has done to me, I am one of thousands of targets of Scientology over the past seven decades. People who share what they’ve experienced in Scientology, and those who tell their stories and advocate for them, should be free to do so without fearing retaliation from a cult with tax exemption and billions in assets.” She concluded her message, “With this lawsuit, I hope to protect the rights afforded to them and me by the Constitution of the United States to speak the truth and report the facts about Scientology without fear of vicious and vindictive retribution, of which most have no way to fight back.”
Leah Remini left Scientology in 2013 – after being a member since she was nine years old –but claims that the Church of Scientology started attacking her back in 2006. In 2016, she spearheaded the A&E docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, which helped shed light on some of their practices and even earned Emmy and Producers Guild of America Awards. Remini is part of a small crowd of notable celebrities who have left Scientology, including Laura Prepon, although her That ‘70s Show co-star Danny Masterson has remained, allegedly attempting to use his connections to keep his image clean…This did not work.
What do you think will come of Leah Remini suing the Church of Scientology and David Miscavige? Give us your predictions in the comments section below.