Leah Remini Makes More Shocking Claims About Tom Cruise, Suri Cruise And Scientology
Posted on Mon Nov 2nd, 2015 10:43am PDT By X17 Staff
Leah Remini broke her silence about her life in the Church of Scientology in a shocking 20/20 interview and there's a lot to talk about! Remini is sitting down and spilling secrets on the show, as well as her new memoir, “Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology."
“I know what my former Church-- how they deal with people who tell their story,†Remini told 20/20. “And so I wanted to be the one to say it.â€
The actress, who left the church in 2013 after being involved in it for 30 years and says she gave $2.5 million, talked about how backlash over her behavior at Tom Cruise's 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes was a factor in her departure from the church.
In the interview, she discusses the backlash after Tom Cruise's lavish wedding to Katie Holmes at the Odescalchi Castle in Italy. The actress says the wedding created enormous divide between the “King of Queens†star and the Scientology hierarchy. Two factors in her rift were her questioning the whereabouts of head of Scientology's David Miscavige's wife, Shelly, at the wedding and coming between the church's desire to recruit her best friend Jennifer Lopez, who was also a guest at the nuptials.
“He [David Miscavige] is very, you know, charismatic,†Remini said. “He’s very powerful… he’s likable.â€
In the book, the actress also recounted a tale of seven-month old Suri Cruise at the star-studded wedding. Apparently the baby was crying and no one was attending to her. Remini says she had to take care of the hungry baby but her actions caused quite a stir with guests.
The Church has also released a statement in response to the actress' newest claims. One statement to ABC News said Remini's "repeated ethical lapses and callous treatment of others led to an ecclesiastical review which resulted in her being expelled. She now regurgitates the tired myths the Church has repeatedly debunked, circulated by the same tiny clique of expelled former staffers bitter at having lost the positions they enjoyed before their malfeasance and unethical conduct were uncovered."
Sounds like the Church isn't happy!
On Monday, Remini also talked about Katie Holmes' divorce on Good Morning America."I know now [Holmes] did what she did, leaving [Scientology] the way that she did, because she had to protect her daughter, which, in a way, connects us now."
Remini also spoke about how she met her future husband, Angelo Pagan, and got him into Scientology.
“Had she been into Kabbalah or Buddhist, I would have done anything,†Pagan said. “Muslim? Hey, give me the Koran, let’s go. Baby, if it’s working for you, I’m in.â€
Pagan and Remini left the church together and have been raising their daughter in front of the television on TLC's Leah Remini: It's All Relative.