Leah Remini Defends Controversial Book Penned By Scientology Leader’s Father, Ron Miscavige

Leah Remini is standing by Ron Miscavige. The father of Scientology leader David Miscavige has penned a book about Scientology and his relationship with his estranged son, and Remini is speaking out in support of the memoir. Leah Remini told ABC News that the elder Miscavige has a right to tell his story.

Ron Miscavige, 82, left the Church of Scientology in 2012 after decades of service, while his son, David, holds the title of Chairman of the Board of the celebrity-filled church. Remini, who also made headlines when she left the church three years ago, said she “immediately” encouraged Ron to write about his experience.

Leah Remini says she encouraged David Miscavige's father to write a Scientology book: https://t.co/3Go8B2JAOU pic.twitter.com/FEYx5oY4Cb

— E! News (@enews) April 28, 2016

“I tracked him down. I called him and I offered my support because I know he must have felt alone,” Remini said. “I just wanted him to know that we were willing to take them in. There is no place for them to go unless they have family outside of the church, which is very rare.”

Leah also said ex-Scientologists need to stick together and that they can’t be silenced by the wealthy organization.

“We’re all gonna speak up. You’re not gonna just bully people telling their stories.”

Ron Miscavige’s book, Ruthless: Scientology, My Son David Miscavige and Me, is due out May 3, and it comes on the heels of Leah Remini’s bombshell 2015 memoir, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology. Scientology officials are already slamming the book as “exploitation” from a bitter father.

In her own book, Remini detailed a controlling church, in which actor Tom Cruise is given special treatment. Leah also revealed that Katie Holmes wrote a damning “knowledge report” about her after her wedding to Cruise, which got Remini in trouble with the church. Holmes has since quit Scientology, as well.

In a previous interview with ABC News, Remini revealed that Scientologists are not permitted to criticize Tom Cruise.

“Being critical of Tom Cruise is being critical of Scientology itself … you are evil,” Leah said.

Leah also said that ex-Scientologists are shunned and lose all of their friends and family members who remain with the church. When Leah Remini left, she was grateful that the rest of her family, including her mother, sister, and husband, followed her out the door.

Leah Remini joined the Church of Scientology with her mother when she was a teenager and was a diligent supporter for three decades. But after 30 loyal years, Remini began to question the religion and realized she didn’t want her own daughter, Sofia, to grow up under the influence of the controversial church. Leah and her husband went on to baptize Sofia as Catholic.

Remini and Miscavige’s books are adding more fuel to the Scientology fire after the HBO documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief blew the lid off of some of the church’s secrets. The controversial Alex Gibney film focused on disgruntled ex-Scientologists, causing devout Scientologists, like John Travolta, to dismiss it. But Leah Remini has been very vocal about her issues with the church that she was devoted to for more than 30 years.

Leah Remini even opened up about her battle against the church when she was a contestant on Dancing With the Stars, telling her pro partner Tony Dovolani that being in the church for so long that it wreaked havoc on her self-esteem.

“I was always so scared to be myself,” Leah said. “You’re used to everything that happens to us is our fault. You’re used to taking a lot of negativity on yourself.”

After the former King of Queens star very publicly split from the organization in 2013, Scientology officials issued a statement which blasted her claims.

“It comes as no surprise that someone as self-absorbed as Leah Remini with an insatiable craving for attention would exploit her former faith as a publicity stunt,” the statement read.

See Leah Remini talking about Scientology in the video below.

[Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images for UNICEF]