As Leah Remini’s next season approaches, Scientology posts more videos saying she’s rude

 
Four years ago, Jenna Miscavige Hill published Beyond Belief, her book about growing up in the Church of Scientology and then leaving it, and what it was like to be the niece of Scientology’s dictatorial ruler, David Miscavige.

In that brave book, we were especially struck by Jenna’s portrayal of her uncle, who spent so much energy plotting and destroying the lives around him, but always from a distance.

In Jenna’s book, we wrote, David Miscavige “comes off as a meddling, tyrannical, but ultimately cowardly man who Jenna and other ex-Scientologists are determined to expose.”

That image of Miscavige, as someone who is too afraid to show his own face but sends others to suffer the consequences of his decisions, came back to us yesterday as we made another visit to the website the Church of Scientology set up to attack Leah Remini and her A&E series, Scientology and the Aftermath.

Since the last time we checked, the site has posted new videos of attacks on Leah’s reputation by people who were formerly family friends or associates.

We pointed out in the past that it’s the prospect of a second season of Aftermath that really seems to have caused Miscavige to take the gloves off. Since Remini’s defection became public here at the Underground Bunker in July 2013, she really hadn’t been the subject of the kind of vigorous retaliation and private investigator mugging that we’ve seen so many others go through.

Even through Aftermath‘s first season, the church website dedicated to attacking it went pretty easy on Leah herself. But then, with news that A&E had renewed the show, suddenly the really slimy attacks showed up at the website, with lurid details from her husband’s breakup of his previous marriage and other stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with the allegations about Scientology that have been brought up in Leah’s show.

And a parade of former family friends have showed up in videos raising petty complaints about Remini being a diva. They’re Scientologists, and what else can they say but try to magnify tiny slights that anyone might be accused of.

They’re meat shields, essentially, automatons sent out by Miscavige to put their own reputations at risk so Miscavige can tell his wealthy donors that the church is “striking an effective blow” against Remini and her show.

In reality, these are another set of weak attacks by people who probably had no other choice. Here’s a little about each of them.

Willow Bellotti: “friend of family”

Willow’s video is lengthy, but these paragraphs should give you the flavor of it…

It’s not like she was the most important person in the world, and yet she acts like she is, and everybody else needs to be at her feet, kissing them, or she’s holier than everybody, and why are people not just falling over themselves to make sure that she’s OK. And especially when they are falling over themselves to make sure she is OK to see that she has honestly just dumped them like they don’t matter.

I realize that it might be stressful getting into a career and I’ve worked with many celebrities in the past. I have many V.I.P. friends. I have many circles that I have been part of that I can drop names all day long. They’ve never once treated me anywhere close to how she’s treated me. And they are far more important than she’ll ever become.

Raina Hall: “former friend”

Raina’s video is much shorter. This is entirety of what she says…

So I would say that Leah is a bully. I would say that she is aggressive in getting her way but not maybe in a friendly way where different people have approaches to different things, and when they go after something people can be aggressive, but they can also be… nice and be aggressive. And I think she tends to be more antagonistically aggressive. And just her attitude is very sort of self-centered and in your face.

Bob Pace: “former associate”

Bob Pace describes his encounter with Leah as a home inspector trying to convince her that a hairline crack in the wall of her house is nothing to worry about, and her rude suggestions that he’s wrong about it.

Hairline cracks are typical, and I said this is a hairline crack and it just needs a minor repair, and then just observe it. She didn’t like that answer. She said, “No that’s a structural crack.” Which kind of took me back. It was a rather forceful communication and not a pleasant one and I said, “This is my profession. This is what I do. That is a hairline crack. That is not a concern.” The volume went up. She got more upset. And I realized at that moment that I’ve, in the ten thousand inspections I’ve dealt with I probably dealt with maybe three people that I would consider to be truly…. I don’t know another word other than insane.

 
Got all that? If you were ever rude to a tradesman who came to your house or apartment, you are “insane” and shouldn’t be on television exposing the Church of Scientology. At least, that appears to be the message.

Ooh, good one, Dave.

 
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Jeffrey Augustine interviews Brandon Reisdorf

Says Jeffrey: “Brandon Reisdorf, a third generation Scientologist, talks about his experiences growing up in a Scientology family and his time on staff at the San Diego Org. He also discusses the Church’s ludicrous claims about the wild success Scientology Media Productions will achieve by bringing millions of people into Scientology. The interview ends with a great description of what Brandon can now do in life now that he is free of the 24/7/365 slavery of Scientology.”

 
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Countdown to Denver!

 
HowdyCon 2017: Denver, June 23-25 at the Residence Inn Denver City Center. Go here to start making your plans, and book your room soon!

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on May 16, 2017 at 07:00

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The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2016 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Undergound Bunker (2012-2016), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)

Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…

BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts

Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | Scientology’s Private Dancer | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | Scientology boasts about assistance from Google | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ

Our Guide to Alex Gibney’s film ‘Going Clear,’ and our pages about its principal figures…
Jason Beghe | Tom DeVocht | Sara Goldberg | Paul Haggis | Mark “Marty” Rathbun | Mike Rinder | Spanky Taylor | Hana Whitfield