Leah Remini’s Battle With Scientology Continues

All’s well that ends well — if it ever ends, that is. Right now, it looks like the battle between Leah Remini and the Church of Scientology might never end. When news broke that Remini’s show, Scientology and the Aftermath, was renewed for a second season, the star released a statement that took aim at her former religion. “It became clear to us that although we were telling painful stories of former members of the Church of Scientology, this show was resonating strongly with people everywhere.” According to the King of Queens actress, “The show is really about standing up for what is right and not letting bullies have their way. I feel it is important for people to know that you can take action to bring about change, both for yourself and for others.”

Not surprisingly, the Church of Scientology doesn’t see her series that way. A representative from the church said the network paid sources (a big no-no with this type of exposé). “Real transparency would be for A&E to detail all forms of compensation made to sources spreading religious hate and bigotry on Leah Remini’s show,” the rep argued, adding that Remini “teamed with A&E to shamelessly turn religious hate into a commodity by treating it as entertainment.” The rep went on to point out that A&E canceled Generation KKK on the grounds that paying sources violated company policy, but allowed Remini’s sources to be compensated in cash and with in-kind payments. “A&E can’t have it both ways,” the Scientologist rep stated. (This wasn’t the first time the Church of Scientology had taken aim at A&E over the KKK debacle — a lawyer for Scientology wrote a letter to the network back in December.)

The rep seems to be out for blood, however, insisting that A&E has a duty to investigate the extent to which Remini’s show violates the network’s internal policies. “The Church has repeatedly asked A&E to investigate the production of the Remini series and financial payments, especially in the wake of numerous violent threats generated against the Church, its leaders and parishioners coinciding with the airing of the series. Those hate crimes include death threats and acts of vandalism, many of which have been and are now the subject of law enforcement investigations,” the rep said. (ICYMI, actor Danny Masterson of That ’70s Show fame is under investigation after three women accused him of sexual abuse following the first season of Scientology and the Aftermath.)

Considering the fact that A&E seems to prepping to launch an Emmy campaign for the show’s first season — which earned an impressive average of 3 million viewers per episode — it seems unlikely that the Church of Scientology is going to get its way anytime soon.