Leah Remini claims Church of Scientology wanted to murder her
Leah Remini claims the Church of Scientology wanted to murder her.
The 'King of Queens' actress, 54, joined the group aged 13 when her mother became a member, and described the organisation's control over every aspect of her life in a candid new interview about the impact it has had on her and her family's lives.
She spoke to UsWeekly about her ongoing trauma about extracting herself from the church after filing a civil harassment lawsuit against the Church of Scientology in 2023, alleging it orchestrated a campaign of stalking and intimidation against her and her 20-year-old daughter Sofia – with a trial scheduled for October.
Leah's efforts to expose the Church's practices began with her 2015 memoir, 'Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology', and continued with the Emmy-winning docuseries 'Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath'.
She added: 'They harass my underage daughter online. They've (used) a Scientology term that means to kill me (and) basically to erase me from the face of the earth.
–When you talk to a lawyer, they say, 'It's going to cost you more to defend yourself than to pay them off'.
'And Scientology knows that.'
A representative for the Church told UsWeekly: 'All allegations of harassment, break-ins and other salacious alleged conduct are false.'
Leah added about her time in the Church: 'We (had) to report to our ethics departments – the Scientology police — and that's an everyday activity.
'Once your parents become Scientologists, they're no longer your parents.'
Her break from the Church came after she was ordered to cut ties with her mother and stepfather for allegedly violating Scientology policy.
She said: 'That's when I found the Brooklyn girl in me.'
Leah credits the late Mike Rinder – a former high-ranking Scientologist who left in 2007 – with helping her escape.
She said: 'Mike was the first person I called when I was thinking of leaving. That alone was a high crime in Scientology.
'He was so comforting.'
Leah said the Church continues to harass Sofia online, and that the pressure has taken a toll.
The actress added: 'She's constantly petrified that her phone is being tapped.
'I had to get her help for that, and she's OK; we got through a rough patch.'
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