Highlights
- Leah Remini, known for her roles in The King of Queens, was a defender of Scientology until 2013 when she left, believing it had become corrupt.
- Scientology prevented Remini from getting closure with her estranged father.
- Remini's decision to leave Scientology was influenced by her daughter.
Leah Remini gained widespread recognition through her biggest roles including her portrayal of Carrie Heffernan in the popular TV series The King of Queens. Beyond her on-screen success, Remini was also known for her association with The Church of Scientology. Whenever questions arose regarding her involvement with the organization during interviews, she was quick to defend it against criticism.
However, in 2013, Remini's life changed when she decided to part ways with Scientology, citing her belief that the organization had become tainted by corruption. Her departure from the church revealed a tragic truth about her life, that was deeply intertwined with Scientology since her childhood.
Leah Remini Revealed That Scientology Prevented Her From Getting Closure From Her Estranged Father
After departing from Scientology in 2013, Leah Remini and her family starred in a reality show It's All Relative, on TLC. Throughout two seasons, Remini shared the screen with her husband, Angelo Pagan, and their daughter, alongside various members of her extended family.
However, Remini's biological father, George Anthony Remini, was absent from the show. Her father had separated from her mother, Vicki Marshall when she was still a child. George was never a member of Scientology and had been estranged from the family since then.
In 2017, George Remini and his wife, Dana Connaughton, publicly criticized Remini in an interview with the Church of Scientology International. George claimed that the actress had promised to cover his cancer testing fees but failed to do so. He asserted that her failure to provide financial support played a role in his illness.
In September 2019, Remini learned about her father's passing a month after it had occurred. She shared this news on Instagram, expressing her desire for closure. She attributed the final chapter in their relationship to Scientology, claiming that the church had used her father as a tool in their campaign against her, rather than for his genuine beliefs.
Remini expressed her willingness to forgive her father if given the opportunity, despite his participation in Scientology's actions against her. She lamented that Scientology had robbed her and her sisters of their last chance to attain the one thing they had always longed for from their father.
Leah Remini Grew Up To Resent Her Mother For Neglecting Her And Her Sisters
Leah Remini was in elementary school when her mother, Vicki Marshall, became a member of Scientology. Remini followed in her footsteps, leading their family to relocate to the church's compound in Clearwater, Florida. Remini later recounted to BuzzFeed that during their time there, they were engaged in extensive work from morning until night, with very little time devoted to schooling.
In 1983, Remini left Florida for Los Angeles due to the challenging conditions at the church compound. She described their initial move to Florida as a stark contrast, going from a middle-class lifestyle in Brooklyn, New York, to living in a motel infested with roaches, alongside six other girls near a freeway in Clearwater. Separated from their mother, they were asked to sign incomprehensible billion-year contracts, leading them to question why they were subjected to these circumstances.
Remini also shared the distressing experiences of her infant sister, Shannon Farrara, who endured neglect at the compound. In her book Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, Remini recounted that a teenage Sea Org member was responsible for the nursery, where her sister was often left crying and soaked in her crib. The neglect they witnessed was deeply troubling.
Following her Emmy win in 2017 for her A&E series, Leah Remini: Scientology and The Aftermath, the actress playfully teased her mother in her acceptance speech, saying, "Mom, thank you. You are officially forgiven for getting us into a cult."
She dedicated her Emmy to the brave individuals who shared their stories on her show, despite the ongoing risks and repercussions they faced from The Church of Scientology.
Leah Remini's Daughter, Sofia Bella Pagan, Inspired Her To Leave The Church Of Scientology
Leah Remini's decision to leave the tightly controlled Church of Scientology was influenced by various factors, but none held more sway than her then-9-year-old daughter, Sofia. Remini married her longtime boyfriend, Angelo Pagan, and welcomed their only child, Sofia Bella Pagan.
After years of being a member of the Church of Scientology, Remini disclosed that it was her daughter who ultimately inspired her to leave. Following their departure, Sofia was baptized in a Catholic Church, and Remini authored a book titled Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology.
"She was getting to the age where the acclimation into the Church would have to start," Remini revealed of the process, which includes participating in auditing sessions where children are asked probing questions. Remini always prioritized her family and recognized that she was following a pattern similar to her upbringing, where her mother's dedication to the Church took precedence over family life. She didn't want to convey that message to her only child.
Determined to break this cycle, Remini, along with her family, decided to leave the Church. The actress reflected on her childhood, where she resented her mother for not being present at home, despite her mother's belief that she was contributing positively to the world through the Church.
According to Amomama, Scientology, much like other exclusive religious groups, emphasized a "Church First" doctrine that became increasingly difficult for Remini to accept. She declared family first but found herself spending most of her time at the Church, which contradicted her message to her daughter.
Remini attempted to initiate changes from within the Church by discussing them with her longtime friends in the organization, but her efforts were met with resistance. She realized that the Church cared more about avoiding disruption than doing what was right, which challenged her beliefs and values. However, her mother stood by her decision and this support erased any lingering resentment she held toward her mother.
"In the Church, you're taught that everybody is lost," Remini explained. "They say they're loving, caring, non-judgmental people, but secretly, they were judging the world for not believing what they believed. To me, that is not a spiritual person. That's a judgmental person and that is the person that I was. I was a hypocrite, and the worst thing you can be in this world is a hypocrite."
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