Remini’s original suit was brought Aug. 2 in Los Angeles Superior Court and included allegations of civil harassment, stalking, intentional infliction of emotional distress and defamation. Scientology leader David Miscavige is also a defendant in both the first suit and the updated complaint filed Tuesday with newly appointed case management Judge Randolph M. Hammock.
“In the short period of time since Ms. Remini’s complaint was filed, Ms. Remini and others have been subject to continued, aggressive harassment,” according to the amended suit, which cites as an example a Scientology statement maintaining that the actress’ remarks had “generated threats of and actual violence against the church and its members” and suggesting that she consider moving to Russia.
In addition, since the lawsuit was filed, there has been evidence of potential fraud flagged on several of Remini’s credit cards and recently the business of Remini’s tutor was hacked, causing a $15,000 loss to his business account, according to the revised complaint. Before the lawsuit was brought, the tutor received Scientology promotions at his home, signaling the faith’s awareness when individuals are associated with the actress, the amended suit states.
The church previously issued a statement in response to Remini’s suit.
“This lawsuit is ludicrous and the allegations pure lunacy,” the statement read. “Remini spreads hate and falsehoods for a decade and is now offended when people exercise their right 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 statement further read.
In her updated complaint, the 53-year-old “The King of Queens” star seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, and she repeats her allegation that Scientologists “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.”
For the past 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,” the updated suit alleges.
The organization also 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 amened suit again 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 said in a previous statement. “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.”
A case management conference in Remini’s suit is scheduled Dec. 4.
Remini released the book “Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology” in 2015, and hosted the A&E documentary series “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath” from 2016-19.
