But what really got the church’s attention was when Leah questioned Cruise, Scientology’s biggest star, and his “weird” relationship with higher ups.
“You know the funny thing is you start questioning things that are connected to Tom, things getting a little crazy,” Nicole said in the radio interview with myTalk 107.1 on Monday.
When asked about Tom bringing the head of the church on his honeymoon with Holmes, Nicole said: “Yeah, they have a very strange relationship, and you know, one of the things, you know, when Leah came back from the wedding, you know, whatever happens, happens.
“Leah had brought up to a very, very close friend of hers out of the house, like in private… ‘You know, I just think that it is really weird how involved Tom is with the upper levels of the Church.’ Like what, she just started questioning a little bit like, what was going on.
“And just kind of the amount of, how do I, I just need to say this right, how involved he was with the upper level people.
“And somebody actually wrote a report on her — her best friend wrote a report on her that she questioned it.
“Well then Leah got pulled in it’s like how dare she question what is going on with Tom and his relationship with people within the church.”
In a statement responding to Remini’s sister’s statements, the church told Radar: “The statements by Ms. Remini-Wiskow are absurd. Considering how big a wedding it was and her sister’s comments published in the media about what a good time everyone had, it is pretty unbelievable this is the story being told. Further, she hasn’t been in the Church since 2005, has no personal knowledge of any events described and knows firsthand that her own sister did not “disconnect” from her. Contrary to myths spouted by… anti-Scientologists, the Church cannot and does not “order” any parishioner to disconnect. Such a decision always has been and remains a deeply personal choice made entirely by the individual. This has been spelled out clearly on our website for years.”
see below for radio interview and transcript
How Scientology changed the internet
The Church of Scientology has made several moves to have its secret scriptures removed from the internetWhat do Wikipedia, Wikileaks, Anonymous and copyright law have in common? The answer is they have all been influenced by the Church of Scientology International (CSI), as it took on ex-members and critics who took their protests onto the internet. As the Church successfully removes another website, just how big an influence has Scientology had on the internet we all use?
Last month digital rights activists at the influential Electronic Frontiers Foundation (EFF) placed the Church of Scientology into their hall of shame over for what it says were repeated acts against internet freedoms.
It was just the latest twist in the Church's long-running feud with "negative" Scientology content online, one that has lasted almost two decades.
Back in May 1994, at a time when most major organisations were yet to figure out how exactly to deal with the relatively unknown power of the internet, the Church's Elaine Siegel had a few ideas, outlined in a leaked email to "all Scientologists on the internet".
"I would like to ask your assistance in getting each one of you to post positive messages on the internet (at least once a week, more if you like), about Scientology," she wrote.
"If you imagine 40-50 Scientologists posting on the internet every few days, we'll just run the SP's [ex-members] right off the system.
"It will be quite simple, actually."
Or perhaps not.
'Censorship innovators'Unsurprisingly, the Church of today is keen to distance itself from Ms Siegel's email.
"It is ancient history in terms of internet development," spokeswoman Karin Pouw told the BBC in a series of emails about the Church's relationship with the internet.
"The e-mail in no way reflects or represents the Church's current relationships with IT professionals or our use of the internet to provide information about Scientology to anyone who seeks it."
She's right - the Church has moved on, instead seeking new ways to have "negative" content removed from the web.
"They're kind of innovators in finding ways to censor the internet," said Dr Martin Poulter from the University of Bristol.
Dr Poulter is a lead trainer for Wikimedia UK, the British arm of the non-profit organisation which looks after Wikipedia, and often edits its Scientology pages - something the Church is no longer able to do.
"Scientology was the first organisation to be officially banned from Wikipedia," he says, referring to the landmark decision in 2009.
"There were several different accounts making very similar contributions and advancing pro-Scientology lines, or deleting anti-Scientology stuff."
Dr Poulter's first experience with the Church's actions online came in the early 90s when he was browsing a newsgroup called alt.religion.scientology, a place where critics and ex-members were posting information on the Church.
"The reaction from the Church of Scientology was that it went really beserk," recalls Dr Poulter.
With the help of local authorities, houses belonging to newsgroup users across the US were raided, with computer equipment being seized for weeks on end.
"The days of the internet as a cozy, private, intellectual cocktail party are over," technology magazine Wiredprophetically declared in 1995.
'Encourage tolerance'Scientology officials remember those early days with a slightly different perspective.
"The Church at that time had been a pioneer in religious website development," said Ms Pouw, but she admitted to the BBC that there had been concern about hate speak.
So much so, the Church took internet service providers such as Netcom to court over users that were posting copyrighted works online in order to attack Scientology.
Netcom retaliated, saying it could not be expected to screen everything its users were posting - a defence now frequently utilised by large sites like YouTube.
Scientology provokes protests around the world, but some countries recognise it as a legitimate religionThat row was one of several which lead to the creation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), a US law which gives copyright holders the power to ask for the removal of content to which they own the rights.
The DMCA is now widely-used by the entertainment industry to have content removed from the internet.
For the Church, it was a tool that allowed them to go after ex-members and others who had posted "secret scriptures" online.
One such site, Operation Clambake, was a particular thorn. Set up by Andreas Heldal-Lund, the site not only hosted previously private Scientology documents, but large amounts of criticism of the Church too. Due to it being set-up in Norway, Xenu.net was beyond the DMCA's reach.
Google 'meeting'So the Church did the next best thing: it made a request to Google for the site to be wiped from search results. Google complied, sparking strong criticism.
Faced with the backlash, Google came to what founder Sergey Brin would later describe as the "right compromise", removing the listings, but replacing them with links to another website - chillingeffects.org - which lists the details of DMCA requests.
Meanwhile, anti-Scientologists with websites linked to Xenu.net, thus pushing it up Google's rankings until it appeared ahead of the Church's official site.
Ex-high-ranking Scientologist Geir Isene, who left the Church in 2009, told the BBC the Church was so concerned about this that it put pressure on Mr Brin at a conference in the hope he would alter search results to down-rank, or remove, anti-Scientology material.
The Church denies any discussions took place, while Google told the BBC it had no record of a meeting - but added that Mr Brin and other Google bosses would often meet webmasters and discuss matters relating to search at industry events.
The company strongly denies any suggestion it would have considered changing its search algorithms.
Mr Isene said his IT expertise was used by the Church to get under the skin of Mr Heldal-Lund, by posing online as a girl asking for advice after being brutalised by Jehovah's Witness.
Years later, when the Church asked Mr Isene how to combat their "Google problem" he told officials they could never pressurise the company into change.
"They thought that was the most stupid thing Google could think - because obviously Scientology was going to save the world and Google was just a simple search engine."
When asked about the meeting, the Church of Scientology played down Mr Isene's contribution.
"He has joined a small group of former Scientologists who are trying to generate media stories about their former faith through exaggerated claims of their own importance," spokeswoman Ms Pouw said.
"He was one of many IT professionals we consulted at the time. Nothing more."
As the years progressed, Scientology's run-ins with the internet community would come thick and fast - mostly notably from the likes of Wikileaks, which in 2008 was still in "beta". It posted more scriptures, provoking the first significant legal challenge to the site's owner, Julian Assange. He ignored the Church's threat.
Superbowl statsToday, the Church takes pride in its presence on social media and says it works with Google "almost daily" on web ad campaigns.
"The teamwork has resulted in exciting technology and user experience milestones like our rich media YouTube channel as well as the YouTube homepage interactive experience seen by 61,771,958 people in a single day in February of this year."
Tom Cruise, seen here at a Church gala event, was the subject leaked of a videoBut that impressive traffic day, it must be noted, was largely thanks to a Superbowl advertisement costing several millions of dollars.
So while it may have embraced the internet for its own purposes, organisations like the Church of Scientology still face the internet's disregard for secrecy as a constant threat.
According to some measures, the Church is suffering from declining member numbers. Many who leave the Church are now more able to speak out that ever before - particularly with the help of blogs and social media, a threat that even the most intensive use of copyright laws struggles to touch.
"Founder L. Ron Hubbard told them how to do everything in life," reflects Dr Poulter from Wikipedia.
"But he didn't leave any instructions on how to handle the internet."
Follow Dave Lee on Twitter @DaveLeeBBC
EXCLUSIVE - 'Connor Cruise is the worst person for my daughter to be around': Father of 'close friend' of Tom Cruise's son who was exiled from Scientology hits out
- Former Australian rugby league player Joe Reaiche was ex-communicated by the church in 2005 - and has not seen his children ever since
- Claims his daughter Alanna is too close to Connor Cruise, son of A list star Tom, because ' the more she's around him - the deeper in she gets'
By SARA NATHAN
|
Strolling down the sunny Californian streets, Connor Cruise and his friend Alanna Masters look like two average all-American kids.
But as the son of Tom Cruise, arguably Scientology’s most esteemed member, Connor, 18, is the ‘worst person’ for Alanna to become close to, according to her father.
Joe Reaiche, 55, who has not seen his two children for the past nine years since being ex-communicated from the church, told MailOnline: ‘If there is any chance that Alanna is connected to Connor, he is the worst person for her to be around. The more she’s around him, the deeper into the church she goes.
Warning: Alanna Masterson's estranged father Joe Reaiche has said he thinks it is dangerous for her to be too close with Connor Cruise, the son of Scientology bigwig Tom Cruise
Buddies: Connor Cruise and Alanna Masterson pose for a cheeky photo alongside a friend. The striking brunette is believed to be dating DJ Jesse Marco
Hanging out: Alanna Masterson joins pals including Connor Cruise at a fairground
The former Australian rugby league player joined Scientology in 1978 and left in 2005 – and has since then been an outspoken critic of the mysterious religion.
And he said he was wary of A list star Tom mainly because of his close friendship to Scientology leader David Miscavige, adding: ‘Tom and David are like twins – they’re like two peas in a pod.
'I think Tom he has turned a blind eye to issues with his church. And they have been very careful not to show him the dark side.’
Joe was a professional footballer and almost 20 when he joined Scientology after he believed the church had healed a long-running groin injury.
He married fellow Scientologist Carol Masterson in 1985, the mother of actors Danny and Christopher Masterson, and the couple went on to have a son Jordan, now 27, and Alanna, now 25.
'Tom Cruise and David Miscavige are like twins - they're like two peas in a pod...I think Tom has turned a blind eye to issues with his church'
Following the breakdown of his marriage, Joe, a plain-speaking Aussie who now lives in Long Island, New York, started to question the church and the religion that had been part of his life for so long.
After '18 years of constant learning and exorbitant costs’, Joe claims he had paid out to ‘close to $300,000’ for him and his wife.
Joe told how the couple were invited to an event in Clearwater in 1996 by David Miscaviage where he alleges they were informed the church had developed a ‘more exact approach to the Spritual Bridge of Total Freedom and corrected the system, therefore all prior spiritual services or courses that were done by you over the last 18 years was incorrect and hindered your results. ‘
This new system was called The Golden Age of technology and would cost another $20,000 for Joe and Carol to correct the past.
The tipping point came, said Joe, when he was on business in Atlanta and was called by one of the Church’s executives in New York’s ‘Justice Division’ and ordered to arrive in New York within 24 hours – or he would be considered a Supressive Person for non-compliance.
This, Joe said, he simply did not want to comply to – and was indeed told to leave.
'No religion has the right to ruin you and split up your family': Furious Joe Reaiche hits out as he reveals he has not been able to speak to his two children for the past nine years after being ex-communicated from the church of Scientology
Siblings: That Seventies Show star Danny Masterson with his sister Alanna and brothers Christopher and Jordan at a Scientology Christmas event in Hollywood, CA, in 2006
Twins: Joe Reaiche says that Tom Cruise and Scientology leader David Miscavige are like 'peas in a pod' - and says the Church should not have 'p***ed off' the King of Queens star Leah Remini
Alanna, now a striking brunette who has most recently been dating DJ Jesse Marco, and her siblings were educated within Scientology, as were Connor and his sister Isabella.
And and records show she – alongside her mother and brothers – have each donated $35,000 of their own money to the church to reach Cornerstone status within the past few years.
Being shut out of the church in 2005 meant that Joe has not seen his children – including the step-sons he helped raise – for the past nine years.
Indeed, he only found out about his daughter’s friendship with Connor Cruise after following her on Twitter.
'If my daughter has a brain, she should say ‘how can my father be an evil person?' Is Leah Remini evil? Come on! Could all of these people be lying about the church?'
‘I have to follow my kids on Twitter because all my photos are with my ex-wife, I never thought I would have to be digging for photos of them online,’ said Joe.
‘And then someone contacted me to let me know a picture had gone viral of her with Connor Cruise.
‘If Alanna is hanging around with someone like Connor, it will be very hard to realise what is wrong with the church – and want to leave.’
Joe, who last week told Scientology blogger Tony Ortega: ‘ I call Tom the Prince of Darkness — he’s got a warped view of Scientology and I don’t want my daughter anywhere near him’ – said he had been prompted to speak out in the wake of Leah Remini’s departure from Scientology last week.
Hugs: Alanna Masterson cuddles up to Connor Cruise and a friend during a night out
He said: ‘Leah is a strong girl with a ton of money, I knew her when she was 17 and she’s a b***h on wheels if you p**s her off!
‘I’m in the position now where I have to keep a Google alert for my children, they won’t take my phone calls, they won’t accept cards.
‘If my daughter has a brain, she should say ‘how can my father be an evil person? Is Leah Remini evil? Come on! Could all of these people be lying about the church?
‘Her mother is a staunch supporter and once they have their hooks in you, there’s no remorse.’
‘I’m not perfect’, admitted Joe, who has remained single since his divorce, ‘I did mistakes, but does that make me evil? I fathered these children and raised my two step-sons and I hope one day they wake up and smell the coffee.
Connor Cruise kicks back and spends quality time with female pal Alanna Masterson
Soaking up the sun: Alanna Masterson and her fellow Scientologist pal Connor Cruise
‘I grew up in Australia, I was beaten up because I was a foreigner and I fought in the Beirut Civil War, I’m a tough cookie.
‘But it is sad not to see my kids, to realise that I might now be able to walk my daughter down the aisle – it’s heartbreaking. But I could walk away and say I raised those kids with the best of my ability and I never abused them and I loved them.’
Now working in finance, Joe stressed: ‘No religion has the right to ruin you and split up your family.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2366218/EXCLUSIVE-Connor-Cruise-worst-person-daughter-Exiled-Scientologist-father-Tom-Cruises-son-close-friend-hits-out.html#ixzz2ZFvm58jM
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In case you missed Lori & Julia on Monday, the girls had an amazing chat with Nicole Remini, sister of popular actress and now-former Scientologist Leah Remini.
Leah, you'll remember, made headlines last week when her decision to leave the controversial Church of Scientology was made public.
The girls began their conversation with Nicole trying to understand what was really behind Leah's sudden departure from the church.
They also wanted to know why Nicole was coming forward now, even before Leah's own public statement. Not only does Nicole answer that question, she also reveals the church's shocking ultimatum to friends and family still in the church.
The girls asked Nicole about fellow Scientologist Kirstie Alley's particularly caustic and hurtful tweets about Leah's decision to leave the church. She also reveals that none of Leah's friends in the church have contacted her following her departure.
Nicole goes on to talk about Leah's odd relationship with Tom Cruise and Katy Holmes.
Julia asks Nicole whether the rumors of Tom Cruise and David Miscavige, the defacto leader of the Church of Scientology, having a secret gay relationship are true. Nicole divulges that David also has a particularly strong taste for the ladies.
Following her interview with LoJ, Nicole sat down with Colleen Lindstrom and shared even more her sister's shocking story. Look for highlights from that interview beginning Tuesday on myTalk1071.com!
boy did I open. a can of worms…we must stop racism ..we must …that was my point—
Last week, actress Leah Remini's exit from the controversial, scandal-fraught Church of Scientology was made public. Her departure came following a long, difficult journey that began after an innocent question. A question, mind you, she asked at Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' wedding. Leah simply asked where her friend Shelly was. Michele 'Shelly' Miscavige, wife of David Miscavige, the leader of Scientology, has not been seen in public since August 2007.
Although Leah has yet to make a public statement about why she left Scientology, her sister Nicole Remini has. Nicole, now living in Minnesota with her family, is also a former member of the church.
On Monday, Nicole sat down with myTalk 107.1 host Colleen Lindstrom for an exclusive, in-depth conversation about her own experience in the church, as well as that of her sister and her family.
The entire conversation will be published over the course of the next few days, but here are some of the more shocking parts of Nicole's side of the story.
Leah and Nicole aren't the only members of the family to leave the church.
Everybody left... when this all came down, everybody had to make a choice whether they were going to stick by Leah or stick by the church. So they all left at the same time.
They all had to make a choice of what they were going to do. This is how we are as a family. We stick together. It's just not an option. So, for my family, staying in Scientology under the circumstances was not an option. Choosing the church over Leah was never going to happen. You think about it, if they'd made the other choice, they lose their granddaughter. And me, I'm connected to Leah. My mom then can't be connected to me.
I think it was hardest for my mom. She's the highest level on the bridge. OT VIII ['Bridge' refers to 'The Bridge to Total Freedom', a series of levels churchgoers attain through a process known as 'auditing' to achieve spiritual awareness. OT VIII is the highest level]. And I think my dad is like OT VII. So, it's really, really hard for them. They lost all their friends. I mean, literally, there have been meetings about disconnecting from them.
About that question Leah asked at Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' wedding... Where is Shelly Miscavige?
She's been curious for years! Where the hell is [Shelly]? You know? This is how I see it playing out. Shelly's going to come out of the woodwork because in my world, I feel like they have her somewhere, wherever they have her. She's probably paid to be quiet, and I have a feeling they are going to have to do something to bring her out of the woodwork because this is the primary question that everybody's leading with. This is all Leah asked, and this is what it's turned into?
Nicole claims Kirstie Alley herself organized a group of top Scientologists to discuss how best to 'disconnect' (shun) Leah.
Scientology is actually contacting her network of people. Kirstie organized a gathering of people at Melinda [Brownstone]'s house and was tweeting about it [Melinda Brownstone was a longtime friend of Leah's and the godmother of her daughter Sofia]. What kind of bully does that?
The basis of Scientology is standing true to your own belief and holding onto your integrity and morals. There's nothing about allowing people to hang on to their own integrity in this. When you're saying it's either Leah or us, there's no integrity in that. When you're threatening people with all they know, there's no integrity in that.
Leah is being treated like a Suppressive Person (SP) (basically the worst thing you could be labeled as a Scientologist. SP's are often 'disconnected' [shunned] from friends and family still in the church).
You know what, Leah hasn't been declared a Suppressive Person. She hasn't been declared, or... nobody said she was a Suppressive Person. Because when you get declared, you actually have to sign something. And she has not signed anything.
Leah isn't declared, she's not an SP. Which is per policy as in forcing people to disconnect. That right there. They're breaking their own rules right there to do what works for them right now. That's the David Miscavige way.
Nicole even alleges the church misled her into joining the Sea Org (the controversial religious order within the church that serves much like a priesthood and requires members to sign a 'billion year contract' of service).
I wanted to be a gymnast, I was on the high school gymnastics team, and when we went out [to Scientology headquarters in Clearwater, Florida], I mean, they basically sold us a bill of goods: "Absolutely you can still be a gymnast, you can go at night, you can go on the weekends..." When I got there, I asked if we could look into gymnastic schools for me, and they were like, "Uh, no, like do you not know what this is?" and it was really, really, really run like a military base.
The full story has yet to be told and much more shocking revelations are likely in the coming days/weeks.
She was kind of going, "am I crazy?" I believe she was just searching for some sort of validation. This whole thing is so blown out of proportion, and Leah tried to fix it. I think it's because she's a Remini and she rocked the boat. She questioned some big wigs, and they know how connected she is, but there's a lot of things will start coming out that are absolute LIES. We're kind of expecting it, but you know where it's coming from. How stupid are you? Why are you doing this?
This week is going to be ugly. There's more to come out. The press just isn't letting it go. She's just hanging in there. She's in good spirits. This too shall pass. Soon this will be old news, as long as the church lets it go. Which I don't think will happen. That would be the smartest thing to do.
Look for more of Nicole's exclusive conversation throughout the week only on myTalk1071.com.
Deleted tweet du jour: Kirstie Alley says all white people murder black people, or something
Actress Kirstie Alley obviously wanted to weigh in on the latest controversy by supplying the kind of sanctimony only certain Hollywood figures can provide. To that apparent goal, all we can say is “Mission: Accomplished.”
Shortly after making the above tweet, Alley wrote the following, which she deleted not long after publishing, but not before it got plenty of re-tweets:
“We”? Was Allie admitting to some sort of crime? Of course not, but those are the kinds of mistakes one can make when in a hurry to jump aboard a bandwagon.
Before and after Alley deleted that tweet, responses rolled in on Twitter:
After a while, Alley tweeted this:boy did I open. a can of worms…we must stop racism ..we must …that was my point—
Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) July 15, 2013
Which might explain why she deleted that tweet.
Admittedly, Alley did prove her point, in an ironic “Al Gore flying halfway around the world on a private jet to get to an emergency summit on lowering greenhouse gas emissions” kind of way.
Having previously spoken out against “vapid stupidity,” Alley closed the debate out by admitting that she is, according to her, an idiot:
Update:
EXCLUSIVE: 'Uncle David won't be happy - all he cares about is PR': Scientology leader David Miscavige's outspoken niece hails Leah Remini as 'fantastic and brave'
- Jenna Miscavige left the church in 2000 and praises Leah for getting out for the sake of her young daughter
- She says the church would usually try to 'smear' defectors but is now 'struggling'
- Jenna admits she still has NO idea as to the whereabouts of David Miscavige's wife, her aunt Shelly - calling it a 'mystery'
By SARA NATHAN
|
She has told of her traumatic childhood amid the murky realms of Scientology – prompting her to flee the church when she was 20.
And today the niece of Scientology leader David Miscavige has revealed he will be extremely unhappy by the departure of King of Queens star Leah Remini – as it is ‘definitely not good PR’ for the organisation – adding: ‘PR for the most part is all they care about.’
Jenna Miscavige, an outspoken critic of the religion – having once dubbed her uncle David ‘evil’ - told MailOnline: ‘I’m really happy for Leah. I think it took a lot of courage on her part to do this so publically. It's fantastic.'
Happy, now: Jenna Miscavige, the niece of Scientology leader David Miscavige, seen here with her young son Archie and husband Dallas, today said it was 'fantastic' news that Leah Remini had quit the Church
Kept from her parents: Jenna Miscavige has told how she was parted from her parents when she was just 12
Speaking exclusively, Jenna, 29, a third-generation Scientologist who left the organisation when she when she was 20 in 2005, added: 'It’s fantastic that she got out – but to me, the best part is that she has a young daughter and it’s great she won’t have to be brought up in the church.
‘Scientology definitely does use families in order to get people to do what they want them to do, they know people care and love for their families.
‘So if they have to use the threat of possibly losing them in order to get them to tow the line they’ll do it.’
'The Church is all about influence and control and defectors definitely don’t help that agenda'
Jenna said she had met Leah once, and when asked how her uncle would take the news of her departure, she replied: ‘I’m guessing not very well! ‘There are so many things going on for the church right now and this is just another thing.
‘It’s definitely not good PR for them – and PR , for the most part is all they care about.'
The daughter of Elizabeth and Ron Miscavige, Jr. Jenna was subjected to a childhood in the teachings of Scientology - and was separated from her parents from the age of 12.
Now a happily married mother-of-two living in San Diego, California, with her husband Dallas and their two children three-year-old Archie and 13-month-old daughter Winnie, Jenna said: ‘I think Leah’s brave, I’m really happy for her.
'The Church is all about influence and control and defectors definitely don’t help that agenda.
‘I can imagine it’s been very stressful for Leah. But the Church is struggling – in the past they would smear defectors and say bad things about them, now people know these tactics.
Troubled: Jenna Miscavige released a book on being brought up in Scientology earlier this year. She managed to finally leave the church when she was 20.
‘I think more recently they’ve got stuck in a weird place where they think ‘do we smear them or do we not?’
‘I do think now it’s easier than ever to leave. It’s becoming easier and easier to become vocal about the church, and look at the all celebrities leaving like Lisa Marie Presley, Katie Holmes and Paul Haggis.
‘All those people leaving makes it easier for Leah to go too. Good for Leah.’
At the age of seven, Jenna was admitted to the Sea Organisation, the branch of Scientology's most dedicated followers - and was forced to sign a billion-year contract that bound her immortal spirit (known as the 'Thetan' to a life of dedication to the Church.
In April, she told the Independent: 'Looking back I feel completely brainwashed. I didn't even know what I liked or what sort of person I was. I was just a robot of the church.'
Despite her tender age, Jenna was forced into gruelling labour for several hours a day from the age of six to 12, including digging trench holes for irrigation and rock hauling.
And between the ages of 12 and 18, Jenna saw her mother only twice and father four times. They then left the religion when she was 16 – while she chose to stay behind, admitting she knew nothing else at the time.
Actress Leah,43, made her dramatic break from the church this week. She had been a member for three decades - and is one of Scientology's most famous faces.
'Truly grateful': Actress Leah Remini thanked fans for their support after quitting Scientology this week. She's pictured here with husband Angelo Pagan and daughter Sofia Bella in August 2012.
Friends in high places: Kings of Queens star Leah Remini chats to A - list star Will Smith at the People's Choice Awards in January 2005
Starry eyed: Actress Leah Remini is friends with famous Scientologists Jennifer Lopez and Tom Cruise
Missing: Scientology leader David Miscavige has failed to answer questions about the whereabouts of his wifeShelly, who has not been seen in public since 2007, according to writer Tony Ortega's Scientology-focused website, The Underground Bunker
The star, who is married to Angelo Pagan, with whom she has a nine–year-old daughter called Sofia Bella, is also believed to have donated millions of dollars to the church.
However, her relationship with Scientology began to falter after she allegedly asked as to the whereabouts of David Miscavige’s wife Shelly at the wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in Italy in November 2006 – only to be told the question was out of line.
'It's as much a mystery to me as it is to everyone'
Jenna Miscavige on her missing Aunt Shelly
She also called the management ‘corrupt’ and is said to have made a break from the church after facing years of "interrogations" and "thought modification" for questioning leader David Miscavige's rule.
The star spoke out last night, saying: ‘I wish to share my sincere and heartfelt appreciation for the overwhelming positive response I have received from the media, my colleagues, and fans from around the world. I am truly grateful and thankful for all your support.’
When asked about Shelley Miscaviage today, Leah admitted her aunt’s departure remains ‘as much a mystery to me as it is to everyone.’
Escaped: Jenna Miscavige and her husband Dallas. Dallas was also a member of Scientology and the couple now live in San Diego with their two young children
Row: Leah Remini is believed to have incured the wrath of Scientology elders after asking where Shelly Miscavige was at the 2006 wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in Rome
Jenna, who this year released her tome on her troubling childhood, called 'Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape',
Leah would have had to under go 'auditing' - Scientology’s form of counseling,where a church member holds the sensors of the machine, which measures skin galvanism and is reflected in the motion of a needle indicator.
And Jenna said: ‘The confessional goes on for a long time, and as Leah probably realised, when you see that you didn’t do anything wrong, it becomes harder and harder to deal with it.’
Leah’s mother Vicki Marshall, is thought to remain an Operating Thetan Level Eight (the highest level of Scientology spiritual advancement) and Class Six Auditor, her stepfather, who is Operating Thetan Level Seven.
TV star: Leah Remini made her name starring opposite Kevin James in sitcom King of Queens
However her parents and sisters are standing by her and have promised not to let the family break apart.
However, Jenna says she is still banned from contacting the friends she grew up with, saying: ‘I have new friends now, and I still miss the people who I grew up with.'
Despite being back in contact with her parents, Jenna added: ‘There’s no messing around, you really do completely get cut off.’
‘I have my own family now though and it’s nice that I got out while I was still young enough.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2362113/Scientology-leader-David-Miscaviges-outspoken-niece-hails-Leah-Remini-fantastic-brave.html#ixzz2ZL4mFBz1
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