Church of Scientology International response to ABC inquiry #3

Here are the answers to the follow-up questions sent on October 27, 2015. To reiterate what I have said: Ms. Remini is revising her history with the Church to make money and to appear relevant amid a fading career.

October 28, 2015

Mr. John W. Bentley
Producer
ABC News 20/20
47 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023

Dear Mr. Bentley:

As an aside, you should note that the timeline of Ms. Remini’s complaints about the Church match career upheavals in her life. The 2006-2007 season was the final year of King of Queens. In 2012, Ms. Remini was at the center of public controversy surrounding her firing from The Talk. ABC would be remiss not to raise the possibility that her anger and rants were influenced, if not caused, by these events.

I also wish to remind you that the Church, during these same years, has seen its greatest era of growth, with a renaissance through the publication of Mr. Hubbard’s foundational and other materials. I have separately written to you about this and feel it, too, is relevant information for your viewers.

Please find the answers below after each question.

Ms. Remini claims she was a trained and certified Scientology auditor who conducted audits for the Church. Can you confirm, deny, or provide further comment?

It would be inaccurate to say Leah Remini was a “certified Scientology auditor” or that she “conducted audits for the Church.” Our records show she was once an auditor-in-training, but she never completed the requirements and was never permanently certified. Please see our FAQ on this at www.scientology.org/faq/scientology-and-dianetics-auditing/what-is-auditing.html.

Regarding the videos you sent of Ms. Remini speaking at church functions, can you provide the exact date those interviews occurred?

The clips of Leah Remini speaking at Church events were all taken at Celebrity Centre International anniversary celebrations. The cards before each shot give the year of the event for the segments that follow. Here are the dates for each of the annual events shown:

1997 – August 2, 1997
1998 – August 3, 1998
1999 – July 31, 1999
2000 – August 4, 2000
2001 – August 5, 2001
2002 – August 3, 2002
2003 – August 2, 2003
2006 – August 5, 2006

The clips from Leah Remini’s interview with the BBC were all taken on March 21, 2007, also at Celebrity Centre International.

Per our records, Ms. Remini also spoke at Church events as late as 2011, when she was volunteering her time to help the Church of Scientology of Inglewood, California. If ABC would like to use a clip from this event, I will arrange to provide one to you.

Ms. Remini also attended the opening of the Inglewood Church, November 18, 2011, where she was acknowledged for her contribution. At the time our records show she stated, “I am so proud that I am spearheading these new breed of orgs to roll out. I am so happy I came to the opening and got to be part of this.” (Video footage from this event is posted online. You can see it at www.scientology.org/david-miscavige/churchopenings/church-of-scientology-inglewood-california.html. Ms. Remini is not visible in this edit as is our practice when editing such videos.)

Do you have any pictures or video from the wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes that we may have access to?

No. Weddings for any parishioners are private matters. The parties involved arrange for photos and videos, not the Church.

Ms. Remini claims that when she was called to Florida in 2006 to respond to the Knowledge Reports written after the Cruise/Holmes wedding, she underwent audits for several months, that she was “basically locked” in a room during the audits, and that the audits sometimes lasted from “morning to midnight.” Can you confirm, deny, or provide further comment?

As we have said previously, this is false. The statement that she was “locked” in a room is ridiculous, silly and bigoted.

Ms. Remini voluntarily went to the Church to receive religious services. Her characterizations are another example of revisionist history. Ms. Remini and her family were provided the finest accommodations in the Church’s religious retreat, Osceola Skyline Penthouse and the Sandcastle Island Suite, overlooking the bay with meals and personal care. While parishioners normally pay for their accommodations at the religious retreat, Ms. Remini ultimately did not pay.

These allegations are absurd. She walked across the street to attend Church services. Auditing sessions generally do not last longer than two hours. A person participating in auditing always has meal breaks, and auditing is not conducted after 10 p.m. Additionally, no one is ever “locked” in an auditing room.

You should note that after 2006 Ms. Remini continued to relentlessly sing the praises of the Church, what it had done for her and how it helps others with its humanitarian causes. The 2007 interview we provided to ABC and 2011 video in Inglewood referenced above are just two examples. In addition, I also am attaching one of many self-generated Success Stories handwritten by Ms. Remini from that time period. Ms. Remini authorized this to be published at the time and we chose not to do so. It is dated January 5, 2007, after the events she claims happened. Note that it begins with her stating she may run out of paper with all of the praise she intends to write. It says in part:

“I am now able to be me! I can love again! And I do love you guys! From the bottom of my heart!” (signed)

Her “locked in a room” tale about her religious services is provably false. It’s just another example of how Ms. Remini is reinventing her history with the Church to justify her conduct, get attention for her sagging career and to make money selling books.

In the videos on the thumb drive you provided to us, the first clip is a sequence of Church events and openings. The first several scenes on that sequence contain audio but then the audio cuts out for the remaining scenes. Were these scenes meant to have audio included or did you mean to provide them as is? If they are meant to have audio please send another copy with audio included.

Thank you for asking. We have resent the thumb drive to you with additional audio on some of the other clips.

Regards,

Karin Pouw