Leah Remini Scientology Lawsuit Amended, Says Church “Aggressive” – Deadline

The Church of Scientology hasn’t but responded in courtroom to Leah Remini’s harassment lawsuit filed earlier this month, however in response to the Emmy winner, the David Miscavige-led group has made some harsh strikes in response.  

“Within the quick time frame since Ms. Remini’s Criticism was filed, Ms. Remini and others have been topic to continued, aggressive harassment,” says an amended criticism from Remini put within the Los Angeles Superior docket on August 29 (learn Remini’s amended criticism in opposition to Scientology right here).

The amended criticism reiterates Remini’s earlier allegations within the authentic August 2 submitting of retaliation by the Church for her public critiques of its coverage and personnel. Nevertheless, moreover Remini now’s saying that since that preliminary criticism was filed she has been the sufferer of assorted acts of bank card fraud, lambasted by on-line trolls, accused immediately by the Church of producing “threats of and precise violence in opposition to the Church,” and suggesting she “think about emigrating to Russia.” 

Seemingly connecting the dots, the amended criticism additionally says the “enterprise of Ms. Remini’s tutor was hacked,” and simply greater than every week in the past, the King of Queens star’s Scientology and the Aftermath co-host Mike Rinder was stalked by somebody near the Church.

The amended criticism particulars that declare:

On August 15, 2023, Mike Rinder, who co-hosted The Aftermath and Scientology: Truthful Recreation, and his spouse had been surveilled by an unknown car. Their son after which neighbors alerted the Rinders to a “suspicious car parked on the primary boulevard of our neighborhood exterior their home.” The identical automotive preceded them on a drive to run errands and adopted them right into a car parking zone. They came across the identical automotive once more in a church car parking zone adjoining to the doorway to their neighborhood. When the Rinders drove as much as the automotive, the automotive pulled out, making a U-turn over a median to keep away from them. 

Mr. Rinder notes in a video posted on the weblog that he needed to interact in related efforts in opposition to one other particular person when he headed OSA, and is definite that Scientology is surveilling him to make sure that he doesn’t help course of servers in finding Mr. Miscavige or try to serve him personally. 

This harassment is very egregious as Mr. Rinder is at the moment present process remedy for most cancers. Understanding that her good friend, whereas unwell, is topic to this surveillance, causes Ms. Remini nice misery. 

As she famous within the authentic nine-claim criticism, Remini is looking for unspecified damages, together with injunctive reduction “to finish Scientology’s insurance policies in opposition to Suppressive Individuals in order that present and former Scientologists, and others who want to expose Scientology’s abuses, together with journalists and advocates, might be at liberty to carry Scientology accountable with out the worry that they are going to be threatened into silence.”

Contacted by Deadline right this moment for a response to the amended criticism, the Church of Scientology resent its August 3 response ripping Remini as “a horrible individual” and a hate-speech-spewing “bigot.” The assertion additionally considerably redundantly calls the lawsuit in opposition to the Church and its chief Miscavige “ludicrous and the allegations pure lunacy.”

Having gone via a few judges already attributable to conflicts of curiosity and extra, a listening to in Remini’s swimsuit is ready for December 4.

With the identical claims of stalking, “malicious and harassing tweets,” and “old-school, mob-style techniques” that had been in her first submitting, Remini’s amended criticism arrived on the identical day the decide within the civil case in opposition to Scientology and member Danny Masterson oddly opted to proceed the keep in that matter.

That case alleges harassment and extra by Masterson and Scientology after the plaintiffs and their households went to the LAPD with sexual assault accusations in opposition to the previous That 70s Present actor. The subsequent listening to within the civil case is scheduled for September 27. All three Jane Does within the civil case, through which Scientology unsuccessfully tried to get the Supreme Courtroom to intervene, are former members of the Church. They’re additionally all contributors within the prison case in opposition to Masterson, which can see the incarcerated actor sentenced September 7 on rape prices.

Discovered responsible of two out of three prices by a jury on Could 31, Masterson might rise up 30 years behind bars in his sentencing.

Having testified on behalf of former Scientologist Paul Haggis on the Crash director’s sexual assault civil trial late final yr, Folks Puzzler host Remini was a high-profile presence initially of Masterson’s retrial again in April. It’s unknown if she can be within the sure-to-be-packed courtroom for Masterson’s sentencing subsequent week.