The Church of Scientology reached out to The Post Friday with an explosive response to word that Leah Remini’s A&E docuseries is going out with a bang.
News broke Thursday that the final episode of “Scientology and the Aftermath” will air Aug. 26, at Remini’s behest — it was not canceled.
The former Scientologist-turned-anti-Scientology activist’s two-hour finale, taped in front of a studio audience of former E-Meter flock, will examine sexual assault allegations against Scientologist and “That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson, who has not been charged with a crime and dubs the claims “beyond ridiculous.”
Remini, 49, will conduct interviews with two of Masterson’s accusers, who filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the actor, the Church of Scientology and its leader David Miscavige. Four women — including Masterson’s ex-girlfriends Chrissie Carnell Bixler and Marie Bobette Riales — claim to be the victims of an intimidation campaign launched after they came forward in 2017, according to court docs obtained by The Blast.
Here’s what a Church of Scientology representative told The Post, upon learning the finale will focus on allegations church policy prohibits members from reporting accusations of sexual and physical violence to authorities:
“Leah Remini has blood on her hands. Her show’s lies, distortions and exhortations to hate and bigotry generated assassination threats against the leader of the Scientology religion, physical attacks on Churches, and the murder of a Scientology religious worker whose throat was slashed by a madman egged on by Remini’s horrendous distortions. Perpetrators who were jailed for their crimes named Remini as their inspiration. Viewers complained and advertisers demanded action be taken, many withdrew their sponsorships. Finally, A&E pulled the plug on Leah Remini’s hate machine.”
Remini, who followed Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard’s doctrine from 1979 to 2013, said she never planned for the controversial show to go on for more than two seasons. “Aftermath,” which premiered in 2016, is a ratings hit and scored several Emmy nods.
Speaking to The Post last fall, Remini said thanks in part to the church’s retaliation, doing the show is “emotionally draining,” and her plan all along has been to get the church’s tax-exempt status revoked.
“Ultimately it needs its tax-exempt status taken [away], so they can stop using the millions of dollars they use each year to follow and harass people and bully them into silence. Churches have tax-exempt status because you’re supposed to be helping and servicing the public.”
When “Scientology and the Aftermath” ends, she will still work to “bring real justice to victims of Scientology but also prevent it from happening in the future — particularly with children.” But as she told The Hollywood Reporter, “I’m not dumb enough to give Scientology a heads up on what we’re planning exactly.”
