Leah Remini has a new book coming out, which I’ve touched upon a little bit already (in terms of Tom Cruise). The book is called Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, and she reveals once again that she left the church after asking about Shelly Miscavige turned into a nightmare. David Miscavige didn’t appreciate anyone expressing concern about his wife, and Leah was sent into super-intense auditing sessions after that mess. Don’t question the wee one with a Napoleon complex!
Leah will appear on 20/20 tonight to promote the book, but in the meantime, here are some more revelations. Some of this stuff is familiar because we have covered Scientology (relatively) in depth over the years, but all of this (especially the stuff about babies) is heartbreaking. How can anyone neglect babies? For shame, Miscavige:
What church officials said to Leah’s sister “You have big t*ts for such a young girl.”
Leah’s grueling work schedule: At just 13, Remini was forced to perform 12 hours of hard labor a day as a member of Scientology’s Sea Org in Clearwater, Florida. After signing a notorious billion-year contract, the actress says she spent her youth “pulling up tree roots with our bare hands, working heavy machinery [and] cleaning bathrooms and hotel rooms.” For her hard labor, Remini claims she was only paid $15 dollars a week, and fed just rice and beans or liquid eggs. She was so hungry, she says she stole food from a hotel restaurant.
More creepy stuff: To demonstrate she understood the rules stating not to have sex or any physical contact before marriage, Remini says she was told to “physically act out the sexual policy” using office supplies. “I took a paper clip and a chess piece, to stand for the girl and boy, and rubbed them together,” she writes.
Child neglect was rampant: Remini claims her infant sister, Shannon, and other small children of Sea Org members were left in a motel room “nursery” for 15 hours a day under supervision of just one young teen — and the conditions were “devastating.” The room “was filled with cribs of crying, neglected babies, flies, and the smell of dirty diapers,” she writes. “The only ventilation came from a huge fan by the window. The neglect was overwhelming.”
The aftermath of leaving After leaving the church, Remini joined Dancing With the Stars – which she claims angered Scientology leaders. Even her professional partner, Tony Dovolani, was “surveilled and followed by a car for two weeks.” Remini lost many, many friends after leaving the church— but best friend Jennifer Lopez had her back. Though Lopez’ father is a Scientologist, she said she would never abandon her. “You are my friend. I don’t want to ever talk about this bullsh*t again,” Remini claims Lopez said.
[From Radar Online]
Much of this has been claimed before, but hearing Leah’s personal observations makes everything click more. The worst part (although all of it is terrible) is the part about babies being neglected in the makeshift nursery. All of it believable. The billion-year contracts are very real, and Scientology trashed their own ex-parishioner (what church does that?) after Leah left. Then Kristie Alley mean-girled Leah in public too (again, what church does that?). This cult needs to be shut down so hard.
Photos courtesy of WENN
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