Leah Remini, the actress, and producer, who fled Scientology 10 years ago this summer, filed an expansive lawsuit against Scientology and David Miscavige in California today.
In the complaint embedded below, Remini lays out a pattern of harassment, intimidation, surveillance, and defamation that she has faced since the wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in 2006.
In a statement posted to her social media channels, Remini said:
“After 17 years of harassment, intimidation, surveillance, and defamation, I am filing a lawsuit against Scientology and David Miscavige.
While advocating for victims of Scientology has significantly impacted my life and career, Scientology’s ultimate objective of silencing me has not been achieved. Although this lawsuit is about what Scientology has done to me, I am one of thousands of targets of Scientology over the past seven decades. People who share their experiences in Scientology, and those who tell their stories and advocate for them, should be free to do so without fearing retaliation from a tax-exempt cult with billions in assets.
The press has a right to report about Scientology without facing a sophisticated intelligence operation from Scientology that could destroy their personal lives and careers. Law enforcement authorities have a right to investigate crimes in Scientology without fearing job loss.
Children, mothers, fathers, aunts, and uncles have a right to request welfare checks on their family members without fear of an operation activated against them by Scientology for doing so. Those in the entertainment business should have a right to tell jokes and stories without facing an operation from Scientology that uses its resources in Hollywood to destroy their lives and careers. 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, against which most have no way to fight back.”
(Disclosure: Remini is a good friend)
I pray she is successful and am so happy she and Mike have been so vocal about this very dangerous cult.
This is amazing. I hope she's successful and you both get some peace!