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In her new memoir, actress Leah Remini partly blames "Mission Impossible" star Tom Cruise for her leaving Scientology.
The book, "Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology," published by Ballantine, comes out on Nov. 3. Remini, a guest host at "Dancing With the Stars," shares her three decades of membership in Scientology which she anticipates would anger leaders of the group, reports USA Today.
Now 45, Remini joined Scientology when she was just a girl. Because of Tom being an A-lister, the actor is so important to their church that if he is criticized, it is also considered an attack on Scientology. "As time goes on, you start to lose touch with the real world ... The mindset becomes 'Us against them.' The decision to leave is you are giving up everything you have worked for in your whole life," ABC quotes Remini.
Among the other reasons why she left Scientology in 2013 were objection to policies that banned challenges to how David Miscavige, leader of the church, managed the group, and alleged abuse of some members. She also disagrees with former Scientology members being branded as "suppressive persons" and causing dissension in families with members who are still members of the church and forced to end contact with ex-members.
The next year, she also noticed her 9-year-old daughter Sofia's life being so centered on Scientology, similar to how she was brought up as a child in Florida by her parents.
Scientology, in a statement, accused Remini of using her past membership with the church to satisfy her "insatiable craving for attention" in writing her book. It adds that the actress was on the verge of being kicked out of the church "for her ethical lapses" when she left Scientology.
In July, there were speculations that Tom would leave Scientology for daughter Suri, but Chris Shelton, a former member of the church, debunked the rumors, saying that church-leavers face massive consequences, including what Remini cited, the cutting of ties with family members who are still with the group, reports Hollywood Life.
According to Star Magazine, the reason why Tom was considering leaving Scientology was that Suri was talking so much about her ballet class, and he has not seen her in any of her performances. Tom, now 52, was raised a Catholic and even briefly attended a Franciscan seminary in Cincinnati. He was introduced to Scientology by former wife Mimi Rodgers whom he divorced in 1990.
Suri is his child with actress Katie Holmes whom Tom married in 2006 in a Scientology rite and divorced in 2012. Among the reasons Katie divorced him was to protect from Scientology Suri who is no longer a member of the church.
