TV star Leah Remini, who famously left The Church of Scientology in 2013, shone a very bright spotlight on the secretive organization in her A&E documentary series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.
Despite claims by the church that she was producing the series for fame and money, Remini (and former Scientology bigwig Mike Rinder) plugged on through 10 solid episodes, interviewing former Scientology members and exposing their alleged stories of abuse, trauma, family destruction and financial ruin at the hands of the church. For her part, Remini came clean about her past and told eyebrow-raising tales about the inner workings of the religion.
In dozens of monologues peppered with s- and f-bombs, Remini also admits she was a victim of the Scientology “brainwashing,” saying that she was raised into it and didn’t know any differently. To this day, the former King of Queens star still has difficulty acclimatizing to life outside the church, and she even questions her own day-to-day thought processes. After a lifetime of Scientology, Remini has been born anew.
READ MORE: South Park trolls White House, Church of Scientology and more with billboards
The series, she claims, is her apology for promoting Scientology in the public sphere, and the exposure of the church isn’t meant to be malicious, but rather a wake-up call to those considering it or “trapped” in the religion. The allegations made by Remini and the guests on Aftermath are shocking, and if proven true in a court of law, we could be witnessing the final death throes of Scientology. (Remini and Rinder say they’ve started legal proceedings against the church, but can’t reveal any details.)
Here are some of the most shocking revelations about the church, as told in Remini’s series. (The Church of Scientology vehemently denies any stories of abuse, blackmail, psychological torture or family abandonment. The Church of Scientology also strongly disagrees with everything presented in Aftermath.)
