Former Church of Scientology member Leah Remini has filed a lawsuit against the organization and leader David Miscavige, accusing them of organizing "coordinated and malicious assaults" after her departure. "For 17 years, Scientology and David Miscavige have subjected me to what I believe to be psychological torture, defamation, surveillance, harassment, and intimidation, significantly impacting my life and career," Remini said in a statement, per the Guardian. "I believe I am not the first person targeted by Scientology and its operations, but I intend to be the last."
The 53-year-old King of Queens star joined Scientology as a child in 1979 and became one of its most prominent critics after leaving in 2013. In 2016, she co-created the docu-series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, which included allegations of statutory rape and other abuse. She said the lawsuit filed in the California Superior Court on Wednesday is an attempt to get the organization and entities it controls to "cease and desist its alleged practice of harassment, defamation and other unlawful conduct against anyone who Scientology has labeled as an 'enemy.'" She said friends, relatives, and business associates have also been targeted.
Remini is also seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the harm she says Scientology has caused her both personally and professionally, Variety reports. She said "mob-style operations and attacks" from Scientology and its operatives were an attempt to "totally restrain and muzzle her." "With this lawsuit, I hope to protect my rights as afforded by the constitution of the United States to speak the truth and report the facts about Scientology," she said. (More Leah Remini stories.)
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