Leah Remini was introduced to the bizarre and much-studied world of scientology by her mother at the age of eight. She remained a loyal member of the religion for some 35 years before defecting, in what she’s previously described as a “rebirth.”
And the former King of Queens actress has been an outspoken critic of the church ever.
In a Reddit ‘Ask Me Anything’ (AMA) to promote the second season of her wildly-successful show, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, the 47-year-old was asked if she thought Tom Cruise was a “good person.”
“No!” she answered bluntly. “Just going to get straight to it, no! There is a public persona of the guy who looks at you directly in the eye and shakes your hand and hugs you and is an attentive person to you and there’s the person behind the mask who is a completely different person.”
The producer and activist went on to clarify her point, describing Tom — arguably the religion’s most famous member — as “diabolical.”
In 2015, the actress exposed the church in an explosive memoir titled, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology.
“Someone could say we all have that — what we are to the public and who we are behind the scenes, but the people who are around Tom and work for Tom, not even people who are Scientologists, they will say he is diaboloical [sic],” the actress continued. “People who’ve worked with me will say I can be an a—hole – all actors can be. That is different.”
She added: “He’s very similar to David Miscavige, they could be twins.”
Miscavige, the controversial leader of the Church of Scientology, has faced a number of allegations since he assumed leadership of the church in the late 1980s — including, physical and verbal abuse against his staff, journalists and defectors of the religion.
WATCH: Leah talks to Ellen about Scientology in the player below. Post continues…
The Church of Scientology are yet to respond to Leah’s latest comments. However, following the release of her memoir, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, they released this scathing statement:
“Desperate for attention with an acting career stuck in a nearly decade-long tailspin, Leah Remini needs to move on with her life.”
“Instead, she seeks publicity by maliciously spreading lies about the Church using the same handful of bitter zealots who were kicked out years ago for chronic dishonesty and corruption and whose false claims the Church refuted years ago, including through judicial decisions.”
