Leah Remini has long been vocal about the issues she has with the Church of Scientology. A former member of the religious organization, Remini has been candid about her personal experiences and has advocated for others who’ve spoken about their own interactionss with the church. Now, it would seem that the actress is taking legal action against the group, as she’s opted to sue it. Remini is filing suit for several alleged offenses, including harassment, surveillance and defamation. She detailed her suit – and the reason she’s filing it – in a candid statement.
The 53-year-old actress took to her social media channels to break the news that she’s taking legal action against the church. In the formal complaint, which she shared on her blog, she claimed to have been subjected to “psychological torture,” “harassment” and “indimidation,” among other elements. The star alleges that said interference has persisted for nearly two decades. The lawsuit specifically names church leader David Miscavige, the Religious Technology Center, Inc. and the Church of Scientology International, Inc. In her statement, she said:
For 17 years, Scientology and David Miscavige have subjected me to what I believe to be psychological torture, defamation, surveillance, harassment, and intimidation, significantly impacting my life and career. I believe I am not the first person targeted by Scientology and its operations, but I intend to be the last.
Per the complaint, the main intent of the suit is to implore the organization and other associated groups to cease their purported misdeeds. Leah Remini, who claims she’s been labeled an “enemy” by the church, is also asking for punitive damages because of the way in which her life and career have reportedly been negatively affected by the church. Per a message shared on her Instagram, Remini also hopes that this suit will be a positive step forward for protecting others who have referenced or are connected to the religious establishment. She closed out her address by saying the following:
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.
The King of Queens alum – who departed the church in 2013 after having been a member since the age of nine – lays out a number of alleged encounters in her suit. She claims that in one instance, she was followed by private investigators while in New York. And in another, she asserts that the harassment she faced led to the dissolution of a podcast deal she had with iHeartMedia.
Another point of contention seems to be her inquiry about the absence of David Miscavige’s wife, Michele, who hasn’t been seen in public since 2007. Said question was brought up during Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' wedding in 2006. In 2017, Leah Remini filed a missing person’s report on her. Ultimately, authorities closed the case, saying that they’d spoken with Mrs. Miscavige.
Over the past several years, the Emmy-winning actress has found a number of outlets through which to talk about her dealings with the polarizing religious practitioners. She shared a number of stories through her A&E series, Scientology and the Aftermath, which received major viewership numbers and earned Primetime Emmy Awards. Most recently, the star also made headlines for attending the rape trial of actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson. After he was found guilty, the Kevin Can Wait alum reacted to Masterson’s verdict, she referenced the church. She specifically said that the legal decision was “just the beginning of our plan to hold them accountable.”
As of this writing, representatives from the church itself have yet to respond to Leah Remini’s lawsuit. With that, it’s currently unclear as to how the group might approach this latest legal situation.
