Since leaving Scientology in 2013, Leah Remini has been a vocal critic of her former religious movement and its teachings. Now, a clip of the King of Queens star discussing Tom Cruise—perhaps the church’s most famous member—has resurfaced, with the 53-year-old sharing why she believes the star is so committed.
Remini posted a snippet of her 2017 interview with UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan to TikTok on September 24. In the 2-minute clip, Remini dispels the rumors that Cruise doesn’t leave Scientology because “the church has information on him.” Instead, she cites the influence the religion allegedly holds in the entertainment industry and the benefits of being a member.
Leah Remini in 2019 (left). Tom Cruise in 2023 (right). Allen Berezovsky/Bryan Bedder Stringer/Getty Images Entertainment
“It’s like nothing you can imagine,” she says. “The amount of power they receive from this church is like nothing in Hollywood. There is no reason for them to leave this environment.”
“He has all of these people to take care of his every need?” Rogan asks, which Remini confirms.
“Yes and there’s policy on how to talk somebody,” she explains. “Like if you said ‘Go get me a coffee and I want it this temperature,’ there’s no ‘I can’t get it.’
“They’d be none of that kind of talk. You don’t talk back, ever.”
Remini alleges that the people who serve celebrities like Cruise must never share opinions, “make faces or gestures,” or “sigh.”
“If you step out of line, in any way, you are dealt with by the church,” she says.
Rogan compares these people to servants, with which Remini agrees, telling the 56-year-old that Cruise has “a lot” of people at his beck and call.
@leahremini Tom Cruise and Scientolgists believe that he is single-handedly saving the planet. So everything he gets from Scientology and everything thats done to people who upset him is justified by that. #Scientology #shellymiscavige #davidmiscavige ♬ original sound – Leah Remini
Remini then clarifies that she doesn’t begrudge people for having a large staff of employees, but that in Scientology, these workers believe they are serving someone “who is singlehandedly saving the planet” and “you deserve that kind of punishment.”
“That’s something different,” she says. “It’s an abuse that is not justified.”
This isn’t the first time that Remini has been critical of Cruise. The Talk host previously called the Mission Impossible star “evil” and said criticizing Cruise was akin to attacking the church itself. She spoke out against the Golden Globe winner again in 2022, amidst the success of Top Gun: Maverick.
“Don’t let the movie star charm fool you,” she posted to Twitter, now X. “Tom Cruise knows exactly what goes on in Scientology.”
Remini was a Scientologist for 30 years after her mother joined the religion when the Emmy winner was a child. Speaking of her departure in 2013, Remini said she had been questioning the belief system for a number of years— particularly the church’s purported treatment of ex-members and the leadership of Scientology head David Miscavige.
Leah Remini, recipient of the Impact Award, poses in the press room during the Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on June 02, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. Remini won the first-ever Impact Award at the Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards for “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath” in 2019. Rich Fury/Getty Images Entertainment
“I believe that people should be able to question things,” she told People magazine.
“No one is going to tell me how I need to think, no one is going to tell me who I can, and cannot, talk to.”
Between 2016 and 2019, the mom-of-one co-hosted Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath on A&E, alongside fellow ex-Scientologist Mike Rinder. The show claimed to share “the shocking truth about Scientology,” with Remini winning the Impact Award at the Critics’ Choice Real TV Awards in 2019 for her work in the documentary series.
Last month, Remini filed a lawsuit against the organization, citing “psychological torture, defamation, surveillance, harassment, and intimidation” in the civil suit. In a statement, the Church of Scientology said Remini was “spreading falsehoods and hate speech” while having “profited handsomely from her fabrications, through the sale of hate books, hate podcasts and paid-for tabloid hate television.”
Newsweek has reached out to Remini, Cruise and the Church of Scientology for comment via email.
Why Tom Cruise Won’t Leave Scientology, According to Leah Remini
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