Since actress Leah Remini left the Church of Scientology in 2013, she has been vocal about her criticisms against the church, its members, and its activities. According to actor Patton Oswalt, who was Remini's co-star in the CBS sitcom "King of Queens," he knew that the actress was going to leave the church after the way she behaved in the premiere of the film "Battlefield Earth."
"Battlefield Earth" was a science-fiction movie based on the novel of the same name, written by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology. The film was critically panned, with a current rating of three percent on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes.
While Remini and Oswalt were both starring in "King of Queens," Remini was still a member of the church. However, Oswalt claimed that he knew that the actress may leave the church due to her behavior after the premiere of "Battlefield Earth."
In an interview with Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live," Oswalt was asked if there was "any hint of Scientology" on the set of "King of Queens." Oswalt replied that there was, because he teased Remini about "Battlefield Earth" after the film came out. According to Oswalt, Remini told him that she and her friend snuck out of the premiere to "avoid having to give it a positive soundbite for the movie."
"So that's when I kinda suspected, 'I think she might be leaving the church someday,'" Oswalt concluded.
Since leaving the Church of Scientology, Remini has made various allegations against the church, its leaders, and its members. In 2016, the actress released a documentary series called "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath," which investigated the experiences of Remini and other former Scientologists with the church. The show was aired by A&E for two seasons, exploring allegations of various abuses and financial opportunism perpetrated by the church.
In response, the Church of Scientology issued a statement claiming that Remini's allegations were false, and even set up a website with the intent to discredit Remini and the other former church members involved in the documentary series. The Wall Street Journal also published a report claiming that the church emailed advertisers to persuade them to boycott "Scientology and the Aftermath."
Despite the backlash from the church, however, A&E stood by the show. "Scientology and the Aftermath" also went on to win Outstanding Informational Series or Special at the 69th Emmy Awards.
