After three amazing seasons on the A&E network, Leah Remini’s Emmy-winning series, Scientology and the Aftermath, will conclude with a hard-hitting 2-hour special on Monday night, August 26 at 9 pm.
Here’s what the network sent us describing the program: “Filmed for the first time in front of a live studio audience, Remini and Mike Rinder explore stories of how Church of Scientology policies have hindered members from reporting instances of abuse and sexual assault to the authorities. They will speak to a number of ex-Scientologists who share their stories of abuse at the hands of other Scientologists, and describe how these policies are aimed at preventing the alleged crimes from becoming public. The episode will also feature a panel of legal, psychological and law-enforcement experts, who provide insight into the impact Scientology’s practices have had on its former parishioners and advise how they can seek justice and effect change in the future.”
[The Hollywood Reporter spilled the beans this morning that the episode will feature two of Danny Masterson’s rape accusers. Yesterday’s lawsuit filed by the accusers no doubt gives A&E some legal room to finally put their stories on the air.]
Leah herself had this to say: “Mike and I will always be grateful to A&E for giving us a platform to expose Scientology and give the victims a chance to be heard. Without the A&E team’s support ‘The Aftermath’ wouldn’t be what we intended. We recognized it was time to move on to the next chapter and help people in new ways. We thank our viewers for caring in the way that you do. It means everything to us. There is not a day that goes by that we don’t have people stop us with a ‘thank you for doing what you guys are doing’ and it’s your support that gives us our strength to carry on. And carry on, we will.”
The program will air just as Scientology is facing a legal barrage that has grown directly out of the work done by Leah and her co-star Mike Rinder. On June 18, a lawsuit was filed on behalf of Leah’s assistant, Valerie Haney, whose incredible escape from Scientology’s secretive “Int Base” was featured in the premiere episode of the show’s third season. Yesterday, a second lawsuit was filed on behalf of Danny Masterson’s alleged rape victims, who had taped an episode with Leah that the LA District Attorney asked her not to air.
More lawsuits are planned, and we’re looking forward to see if we learn anything about them in the August 26 special.
Last night, Mike Rinder posted a touching farewell to the series, saying that he and Leah will go on to pursue avenues that they couldn’t on a sponsored television program…
Our work is not done yet. Unfortunately sponsored television has limitations. There are things we cannot film or show on camera because of certain restrictions. These restrictions have limited us in many ways to tell the full story and in some cases, not permitted us to tell the story at all.
For us, the work never stops. There are things we and others have done and are doing that have not been able to air.
We have met with lawyers, we have met with law enforcement and victims have come forward and spoken. You will see and hear more about this in the future.
As a Scientology watcher, we have been astounded by what Leah and Mike have been able to put on the air. And it feels like a ten-year process that began with Rinder and others going public to the Tampa Bay Times (then the St. Petersburg Times) with its 2009 special investigation, “The Truth Rundown.” Scientology has been exposed by journalists and former members from the very beginning of things in the 1950s, but this barrage of allegations from a raft of top former execs like Rinder, Amy Scobee, and Jefferson Hawkins, was something new. Their efforts not only brought Scientology leader David Miscavige’s brutal treatment of his employees into the conversation, but it shifted media attention in general away from the more comical approach after South Park‘s 2005 episode about the Xenu story to a more serious focus on the conditions experienced by Sea Org workers.
Some of the same former execs, including Rinder, were then featured in Alex Gibney’s 2015 HBO documentary Going Clear, based on the 2013 book by New Yorker writer Lawrence Wright, which continued the focus on the church’s harsh treatment of its workers. By then, we’d broken the story here that Leah Remini had ditched Scientology after a bizarre scene at Tom Cruise’s wedding. Then, in 2016, we also broke the news that Leah was filming a television series.
But even with the precedent of The Truth Rundown and Going Clear, Leah’s series established its own style and reached a whole new audience. Focusing on how Scientology was wrecking lives and splitting apart families, her moments with Bonny Elliott, the Headleys, and Mary Kahn among so many others established her personal touch, and connected with an audience outraged by Scientology’s excesses. “Get your children out of this thing,” she said, able to speak more directly and more forcefully than others had before.
We’re fortunate that we were able to take part in a couple of episodes. We thank Leah and Mike for inviting us to take part in the 2-hour series finale, but we were on a family trip the week that the special was taped in June. We have spoken with a number of people who were there, and we are certain that it will be another powerful television experience that should help educate the public about Scientology’s abuses for years to come.
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] A life connected to some of our biggest Scientology stories ends in a terrible way
[TWO years ago] Leah Remini goes there: Child molestation in Scientology for tonight’s ‘Aftermath’ premiere
[THREE years ago] Former Scientology mouthpiece Tommy Davis is settling into his new role as Hollywood exec
[FOUR years ago] Why no one should ever join Scientology’s ‘Sea Org’
[FIVE years ago] Ryan Hamilton files 19th lawsuit against Scientology’s drug rehab network
[SIX years ago] Scientology is Obsessed with Getting Books in Libraries — Here Are the Real Stats!
[EIGHT years ago] The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology, No. 21: Kendrick Moxon
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,539 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,668 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,172 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,692 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 712 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 603 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,910 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,778 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,552 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,326 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,672 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,238 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,157 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,325 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,906 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,167 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,206 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,918 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,444 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,533 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,673 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,993 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,849 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,968 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,323 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,626 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,732 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,134 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,006 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,589 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,084 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,338 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,447 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 15, 2019 at 06:30
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Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
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Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | 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 | 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 | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
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