'Consider emigrating to Russia': Scientology slams Leah Remini's harassment suit
The Church of Scientology has hit back at Leah Remini, telling the actress to move to Russia after she sued them on allegations of harassment and defamation, Jezebel reports.
Remini recently filed the lawsuit against the church for being "dead set on making her life a living hell now that she's no longer a part of the church."
The lawsuit alleges the church has “stalked, surveilled, harassed, threatened,” and “intimidated” her and claims that she was the victim of “psychological torture," the report said.
Audra Heinrich writes for Jezebel that Remini “specifically claims Scientology operatives sought out a mentally ill homeless man to stalk and harass her because she asked where Shelly Miscavige, David’s wife, had disappeared to.”
The church issued a statement Thursday accusing Remini of trafficking in “hate and falsehoods."
“This lawsuit is ludicrous and the allegations pure lunacy. 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 statement said.
The church’s statement likens Remini’s allegations to an antisemitic person criticizing the Anti-Defamation League. The report notes that Remini is Jewish.
“Remini’s complaints are like an anti-Semite complaining about the Jewish Anti-Defamation League for exposing the anti-Semite’s bigotry and propaganda,” the statement said.
“Remini’s obsession with attacking her former religion, by spreading falsehoods and hate speech, has generated threats of and actual violence against the Church and its members as evidenced by multiple criminal convictions of individuals poisoned by Remini’s propaganda," the statement continues.