The Church of Scientology haven’t yet responded in court to Leah Remini’s harassment lawsuit filed earlier this month, but, according to the Emmy winner, the David Miscavige-led organization has made some harsh moves in reaction.
“In the short period of time since Ms. Remini’s Complaint was filed, Ms. Remini and others have been subject to continued, aggressive harassment,” says an amended complaint from Remini put in the LA Superior docket on August 29 (read Remini’s amended complaint against Scientology here).
The amended complaint reiterates Remini’s earlier allegations in the original August 2 filing of retaliation by the Church for her very public critiques of its policy and personnel. However, additionally Remini now is saying that since that initial complaint was filed she has been the victim of various acts of credit card fraud, lambasted by online trolls, and accused directly by the Church for generating “threats of and actual violence against the Church” and suggesting she “consider emigrating to Russia.”
Seemingly connecting the dots, the amended complaint also says the “business of Ms. Remini’s tutor was hacked,” and just over a week ago, the King of Queens star’s cancer suffering Scientology and the Aftermath co-host Mike Rinder was stalked by someone close to the Church.
The amended complaint details that claim:
On August 15, 2023, Mike Rinder, who co-hosted The Aftermath and Scientology: Fair Game, and his wife were surveilled by an unknown vehicle. Their son and then neighbors alerted the Rinders to a “suspicious vehicle parked on the main boulevard of our community outside their house.” The same car preceded them on a drive to run errands and followed them into a parking lot. They came upon the same car again in a church parking lot adjacent to the entrance to their community. When the Rinders drove up to the car, the car pulled out, making a U-turn over a median to avoid them.
Mr. Rinder notes in a video posted on the blog that he had to engage in similar efforts against another individual when he headed OSA, and is certain that Scientology is surveilling him to ensure that he does not assist process servers in locating Mr. Miscavige or attempt to serve him personally.
This harassment is especially egregious as Mr. Rinder is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. Knowing that her friend, while ill, is subject to this surveillance, causes Ms. Remini great distress.
As she noted in the original nine-claim complaint, Remini is seeking unspecified damages. As well as injunctive relief “to end Scientology’s policies against Suppressive Persons so that current and former Scientologists, and others who wish to expose Scientology’s abuses, including journalists and advocates, may feel free to hold Scientology accountable without the fear that they will be threatened into silence.”
Contacted by Deadline today for a response to the amended complaint, the Church of Scientology resent its August 3 reaction ripping Remini as “a horrible person” and a hate-speech-spewing “bigot.” The statement also somewhat redundantly calls the lawsuit against the Church and its leader Miscavige “ludicrous and the allegations pure lunacy.”
Having gone through a couple of judges already due to conflicts of interest and more, a hearing in Remini’s suit is set for December 4.
With the same claims of stalking, “malicious and harassing tweets,” and ” old-school, mob-style tactics” that were in her first filing, Remini’s amended complaint arrived on the same day that the judge in the civil case against Scientology and member Danny Masterson oddly opted to continue the stay in that matter.
That case alleges harassment and more by Masterson and Scientology after the plaintiffs and their families went to the LAPD over sexual assault accusations against the former That 70s Show actor. The next hearing in the civil case is scheduled for September 27. All three Jane Does in the civil case, which Scientology unsuccessfully tried to get the Supreme Court to intervene in, are former members of the Church. They are also all participants in the criminal case against Masterson, which will see the incarcerated actor sentenced on September 7 on rape charges.
Found guilty of two out of three charges by a jury on May 31, Masterson could get up 30 years behind bars in his sentencing.
Having testified on behalf of former Scientologist Paul Haggis at the Crash director’s sexual assault civil trial late last year, People Puzzler host Remini was a high-profile presence at the beginning of Masterson’s retrial back in April. It is unknown if she will be in the sure-to-be-packed courtroom for Masterson’s sentencing next week.