Leah Remini Blasts Scientology, Church Claims Act Just To Boost TV Ratings
Church of Scientology leaders are firing back at former member Leah Remini and her latest claims that the church makes it a habit of blaming rape victims and frowning upon all forms of self-help that are not based in Scientology teachings.
Remini, who infamously left the church in 2013 and has been a thorn is the side of church leaders ever since, made her assertions during a recent USA Today interview coinciding with the start of the second season of her A&E series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.
“These people’s stories are important to be told, and exposing the abuses of Scientology is something I feel is the right thing to do, having been in it most of my life and having promoted it and supported it,” said Remini, who has also authored the 2013 novel Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology.
Remini added plenty of people have been victimized by Scientology and now deserve to be heard.
Church leaders wasted little time voicing their retort, insisting “nothing about A&E’s Leah Remini docuseries” is honest. The singular goal of the program is to make money and boost ratings by spreading salacious lies to promote A&E’s ugly brand of religious intolerance, bigotry and hatred.”
The former King of Queens actress has made it a point of publicly sharing her truths about a church she first joined when she was still a child.
She once argued leaders so cater to the whims of star members such as John Travolta and Tom Cruise either of them could get away with murder in the eyes of fellow members. Remini has also previously accused high-ranking members of regularly brainwashing and abusing other members.
Church leaders estimate that all Remini’s harsh words have now led to countless death threats, dangerous acts of vandalism and bullying, all of it “directed at everyday parishioners.”
Church leaders added a measure of the blame lies with A&E senior officials for allowing Remini to spread “bigotry and religious intolerance.”
According to Scientology officials, sources for Remini’s Aftermath show are paid for their information and showrunner Myles Reiff has a resume that includes working for the production company that produced a hate-filled and short-lived KKK show where sources were also paid.
“Sadly, as everyone knows from a number of recent tragic events, including those over the weekend in Virginia, we live in a volatile time of accelerated hate, bigotry and intolerance,” church leaders added. “A&E’s airing of salacious, unvetted falsehoods about the Church is reckless and irresponsible. The incendiary hate and bigotry they are fostering has no place in a tolerant America.”
[Featured Image by Jesse Grant/Getty Images]
