Leah Remini has paid tribute to actress and notable Scientologist Kirstie Alley after she died from a 'brief' battle with colon cancer.
52-year-old Leah, a former Scientologist and vocal opponent of the church, had clashed with Kirstie for many years over the Cheers actress' commitment to the controversial organisation.
Leah insisted she took no pleasure in hearing about Kirstie's death, despite their years-long feud.
Kirstie passed away on Monday at the age of 71 after only 'recently' discovering that she had cancer. Her family said she was surrounded by loved ones when she died.
"The news of Kirstie Alley’s passing is very sad. Although Scientologists don’t believe in prayers, my prayers do go out to her two children, who are now without their mom.
"I hope they can, one day, free themselves of this dangerous and toxic organisation," Leah said in conversation with Rolling Stone.
Kirstie was a prominent member of The Church of Scientology, becoming one of the religion's earliest celebrity recruits after signing up in 1978.
Kirstie became a member when she moved to Los Angeles to build a career in interior design.
She reportedly wanted to expand her faith after she battled substance addiction and credited Scientology and their treatment program, Narconon, for freeing her from cocaine addiction.
She’s understood to have reached Operating Thetan Level 7 Rank, which is only one off the highest auditing level.
Leah on the other hand publicly left the church in 2013 and has since become a leading voice in Hollywood against what she has described as a 'criminal enterprise'.
The actress released a docuseries in 2016 titled Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.
Speaking about her reason for making the documentary, she said at the time: "For too long, this multi-billion-dollar organisation bullied victims and journalists to prevent the truth being told.
"It is my hope that we shed light on information that makes the world aware of what is really going on and encourages others to speak up.
"Even though I had been a member of the church for a long time, I was stunned by some of the things I learned.
"There is a lot more to this story than anyone knows. And this series is breaking ground in bringing that information to light."
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