Leah Remini subjected to continued aggressive harassment from Scientology
Embed from Getty Images
On August 2 Leah Remini filed a lawsuit against the Church of Scientology. In the suit, she recounted the harassment, defamation, and psychological torture that COS inflicted on her during the 35+ years she was a member — not to mention the estimated $5 million she spent for the privilege of receiving that treatment. COS responded to Leah’s suit with an unhinged screed, but they have yet to respond formally in court. It seems they’ve been too busy upping their hounding of Leah and her associates. This week Leah had to file an amended complaint to include the “continued aggressive harassment” COS has unleashed in the 27 days since she filed her suit. Deadline reported details of the new complaint:
The Church of Scientology hasn’t yet responded in court to Leah Remini’s harassment lawsuit filed earlier this month, but according to the Emmy winner, the David Miscavige-led organization has made some harsh moves in reaction.
“In the short period of time since Ms. Remini’s Complaint was filed, Ms. Remini and others have been subject to continued, aggressive harassment,” says an amended complaint from Remini put in the Los Angeles Superior docket on August 29.
The amended complaint reiterates Remini’s earlier allegations in the original August 2 filing of retaliation by the Church for her public critiques of its policy and personnel. However, additionally Remini now is saying that since that initial complaint was filed she has been the victim of various acts of credit card fraud, lambasted by online trolls, accused directly by the Church of generating “threats of and actual violence against the Church,” and suggesting she “consider emigrating to Russia.”
Seemingly connecting the dots, the amended complaint also says the “business of Ms. Remini’s tutor was hacked,” and just more than a week ago, the King of Queens star’s Scientology and the Aftermath co-host Mike Rinder was stalked by someone close to the Church.
As she noted in the original nine-claim complaint, Remini is seeking unspecified damages along with injunctive relief “to end Scientology’s policies against Suppressive Persons so that current and former Scientologists, and others who wish to expose Scientology’s abuses, including journalists and advocates, may feel free to hold Scientology accountable without the fear that they will be threatened into silence.”
Contacted by Deadline today for a response to the amended complaint, the Church of Scientology resent its August 3 reaction ripping Remini as “a horrible person” and a hate-speech-spewing “bigot.” The statement also somewhat redundantly calls the lawsuit against the Church and its leader Miscavige “ludicrous and the allegations pure lunacy.”
Having gone through a couple of judges already due to conflicts of interest and more, a hearing in Remini’s suit is set for December 4.
The new complaint also included the fact that Mike Rinder, Leah’s former co-host that COS is also stalking, is going through cancer treatment right now. Some “church.” So much of COS’s tactics feel right out of the Trump playbook: the name-calling, mania, and transparent projection of their deeds onto her. How great would it be to see both Trump and COS be read for filth to the full extent of the law? Hey, a girl can dream!
When Leah first filed this lawsuit a month ago, I hoped it meant she really had her ducks in a row. After all, it’s been 10 years since she broke free. She’s obviously spoken publicly about the evils of Scientology in that time — and produced an Emmy winning series on it. But the suit is serious legal action. And I think it’s great she’s already filed an amendment — not great in that she’s continuing to be harassed, but because I love that by the early December hearing she could have a substantial pile of official filings that will be in stark contrast to Xenu’s screams of “Move to Russia!” Just keep saving the receipts, Leah.
Photos credit: PacificCoastNews / Avalon, Getty
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcWtja31ye8uemKGXopq6qrrImKqumpqasLWxw5irqJeTpLu1tc2unJ2XkZy0s7HSrKCvnY%2BdrrOt0qyknqaklLOzu8yYqpyhlaPBsLjOoLBo