Leah Remini says she has become a pariah among celebrity Scientologists.
Leah Remini
The 'Kevin Can Wait' actress - who left the controversial church in 2013 - has revealed that other stars who are still members of the religion avoid her at all costs.
Leah, 47, told USA Today: "Their job is to avoid me at all costs. They just make sure, through their publicists, if I'm on one side of the room that they're on another side of the room. Or they don't show up to an event that they're scheduled to be at if they know I'm gonna be there. That's just the way it's gotten."
Leah's powerful docu-series 'Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath' is returning for a second season and she will feature people who she claims have been let down by the church, including those with mental illness.
She said: "These people's stories are important to be told, and exposing the abuses of Scientology is something I feel is the right thing to do, having been in it most of my life and having promoted it and supported it. There's a lot of people out there who have lost a lot because of Scientology, and they deserve to be heard.
"They don't believe in therapies other than Scientology, so people dealing with real mental issues don't often get the help that they need."
However, the church has refuted her claims and alleges it has been targeted since the first season of her show aired.
Spokeswoman Karin Pouw said in a statement: "To date, the Church has been subjected to more than 500 threats - including death threats, dangerous acts of vandalism and bullying directed at everyday parishioners - inspired by Leah Remini and her A&E show.
"The violence provoked falls directly at the feet of A&E CEO Nancy Dubuc, President Paul Buccieri and (executive VP) Rob Sharenow, who should be ashamed for spreading bigotry and religious intolerance.
"Sadly, as everyone knows from a number of recent tragic events, including those over the weekend in Virginia, we live in a volatile time of accelerated hate, bigotry and intolerance. A&E's airing of salacious, unvetted falsehoods about the Church is reckless and irresponsible. The incendiary hate and bigotry they are fostering has no place in a tolerant America."
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