Leah Remini - Brainwashed No More

Actress Leah Remini (from King of Queens, with comedian Kevin James) left the bosom of Scientology recently and has publicly posed the question: What happened to the Scientology big cheese's wife, Shelly Miscavige? The wife hasn't been seen publicly in years and, as a matter of fact, no one is coming forward to state that they've seen her privately either. That is, until Leah filed a missing person report with the LAPD this week to question the Scientology first lady's whereabouts. The next day the report was called "unfounded" after they met with Mrs. Miscavige. The strangest thing is why the wife of the leader of the controversial religion would withdraw from the spotlight and not be seen by friends and members of the church for years and years. Especially when she was very hands-on and in the spotlight, by her husband's side. Shelly didn't even go to TomKat's wedding 6 years ago for crying out loud, and we know how important Tom Cruise is to that Hollywood religion. He probably pours drinks in the celebrity lounge on Friday night. He and the grand Poo Ba, David, are tight, religious besties. Davey was the best man at the Italian ceremony.Shelly should've been at the wedding and Leah, who was a friend, thought that very very weird. She questioned the absence and was told "You don't have the ****ing rank to ask that question," allegedly. When she asked if she could phone Shelly, she was told to write a letter and it would be given to Shelly. WHAT?

To add insult to injury for the L. Ron Hubbard religion, Leah announced (before the missing person report) she was penning a tell-all memoir about her experience in Scientology. Talk about adding fuel to the campfire! The book will probably include her conversation at the wedding of TomKat, an exchange that David Miscavige denies having. The religion defends itself by calling all recent Hollywood defectors "status obsessed" has-beens who are only out for publicity. Call me Hollywood stupid but I don't think Leah Remini is in need of publicity. Nor do I think Paul Haggis, the award winning director and screen writer who publicly left Scientology in 2009 needs publicity to get his scripts sold. They called him publicity seeking as well.
Besides, what other church resorts to name calling when a member leaves? Do Catholics do this? Buddhists?  I guess it's because Scientology courts the celebrity contingent and relies on them to pull in new members and add credibility to the organization.
 I'm not saying everyone can't worship how they see fit, but if I were in that church and told to 'back off' about Shelly's whereabouts, then shunned and treated as the enemy for years, and then heard rumors from Tony Ortega, former editor of THE VILLAGE VOICE, that Shelly's being kept against her will at a compound, I'd file a report too, just to eliminate that she's mysteriously disappeared. This week the LAPD spoke with Shelly, but did they speak with her privately? Was it in the next room of her house while David waited at the door? Or did they go to the castle/headquarters in Hollywood to meet with Shelly? Somehow, a rendezvous at Starbucks in between her charity appointments, doesn't seem like something the church would allow. I don't know. BUT if Shelly Miscavige is happy, devoted, doing well, why not have her make a statement? Why not have her meet with Remini, who is trying to determine if the wife of the King of Scientology is under duress for any reason? Knowing how they threatened Paul Haggis and Leah Remini publicly, I now wonder how angry the church (David M.) would be if his wife wanted to leave the church. Or leave him. She must know stuff that would take that religion down in a heartbeat, if what we hear about their intimidation tactics are true. Notice that John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, and others are keeping relatively quiet about their religion. Unlike David Miscavige's niece, who wrote a tell all and encouraged Suri Cruise to get out while she still can.



The famous Scientology expert, Janet Reitman, author of Inside Scientology says this is the biggest hurdle they've had from the celebrity contingent. "They are very worried about Leah." Worried, not about her well being, but her ability to expose them perhaps. If Scientology operated on the up and up, why worry? Taking Leah's split with the 'church' public to the degree she has, ensures that Leah will not mysteriously disappear too. Imagine if you left the religion, weren't a celebrity and decided to write a tell all book. Without the public persona and celebrity, you might disappear too. Just sayin'.
This is the stuff movies are made of. The idea that Shelly is a private person and doesn't like to attend public functions doesn't fly with most free thinkers. Why wouldn't she keep in touch with friends, at the very least? Especially friends who are Scientologists, like Leah, until recently?
 Leah Remini is either the bravest thing to come out of Hollywood since Ellen announced she's gay or she's wrong about Shelly Miscavige and is still extremely brave about standing up to this bully religion. Either way, this is a woman with extreme grit and determination and who doesn't admire that? Oh, the Scientology followers, that's who.

Kim Hornsby is the best selling author of The Dream Jumper's Promise, a novel about a husband who goes missing on Maui and a determined wife who can't move on until she solves the mystery of his disappearance.

Free enovel on Amazon Aug 12-14
"Inception meets Romantic Suspense"
126 Reviews 4.6 *

(Now who is shamelessly seeking publicity?)