LOS ANGELES (CNS) — An preliminary courtroom date in November has been set in a lawsuit filed this week by actress Leah Remini, a longtime critic of Scientology and herself a former member of the faith, alleging that she has been stalked and harassed since leaving the religion in 2013.
The Los Angeles Superior Court docket grievance filed Wednesday contains allegations of civil harassment, stalking, intentional infliction of emotional misery and defamation. Scientology chief David Miscavige is also a defendant. On Friday, Decide William F. Fahey scheduled a case administration convention for Nov. 30.
The church issued an announcement Thursday in response to Remini’s go well with.
“This lawsuit is ludicrous and the allegations pure lunacy,” the assertion learn. Remini spreads hate and falsehoods for a decade and is now offended when individuals train their proper to free speech, exposing her for what she is, an anti-free speech bigot.”
The church is “not intimidated by Remini’s latest act of blatant harassment and attempt to prevent truthful free speech,” the assertion additional learn. “If Remini does not believe in free speech, then she should consider emigrating to Russia.”
In her grievance, the 53-year-old “The King of Queens” star seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
“Here, defendants have undertaken a campaign to ruin and destroy the life and livelihood of Leah Remini, a former Scientologist of nearly 40 years, a two-time Emmy-award winning producer, actress and New York Times best-selling author, after she was deemed a suppressive person and declared fair game by Scientology in 2013, when she publicly departed Scientology…,” the go well with states.
For the previous decade, Remini has been stalked, surveilled, harassed, threatened, intimidated, and “been the victim of intentional malicious and fraudulent rumors via hundreds of Scientology-controlled and coordinated social media accounts that exist solely to intimidate and spread misinformation,” in line with the go well with.
It additional alleges that Scientology has elevated the attain of some posts through the use of its tax-exempt funds to pay social media firms to advertise them.
The group additionally has “incessantly harassed, threatened, intimidated and embarrassed Ms. Remini’s family members, friends, colleagues and business associates, causing her to lose personal relationships, business contracts and other business opportunities,” the go well with alleges.
“With this lawsuit, I hope to protect my rights as afforded by the constitution of the United States to speak the truth and report the facts about Scientology,” Remini stated in a ready assertion. “I feel strongly that the banner of religious freedom does not give anyone license to intimidate, harass and abuse those who exercise their First Amendment rights.”
Remini launched the guide “Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology” in 2015, and hosted the A&E documentary collection “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath” from 2016-19.
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