Leah Remini’s 2024 facilities on her bombshell defamation and harassment lawsuit towards the Church of Scientology.
Again-to-back hearings within the civil case
On Jan. 16, there was a three-hour listening to within the case on the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles. Choose Randolph M. Hammock tentatively dominated within the Church of Scientology’s favor that among the King of Queens actress and Scientology critic’s defamation claims could be stricken from the lawsuit, in response to Courthouse Information Service.
Nevertheless, most of her harassment claims would stay in place — and the case would proceed. The listening to was continued to Friday, when it’s going to choose up once more.
Hammock can be figuring out whether or not to grant Remini an injunction — which might bar the group from brazenly criticizing her whereas this case performs out. He stated he possible is not going to challenge the injunction, however requested her authorized staff to current a latest instance of the group’s harassment to assist him resolve.
Listening to highlights
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Hammock stated that going by way of the Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology creator’s 68-page criticism, allegation by allegation, was “most likely the toughest I’ve ever labored on a specific movement” in his 15 years on the bench. Hammock is contemplating the protection’s try to intestine Remini’s case, arguing that it falls underneath free speech.
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Hammock stated that lots of Remini’s defamation claims do not fall inside the one-year statute of limitations, that means they’ll possible be stricken from the lawsuit. Others she cited are issues of opinion, not truth, so they aren’t “actionable.” For instance, the group bashed Remini in an open letter when she was employed as a recreation present host, writing on a Scientology web site dedicated to Remini criticism, “What’s subsequent? A recreation present ‘hosted’ by a KKK chief? Neo-Nazi Jeopardy?” Hammock stated whereas the assertion was “not very good,” it is the group’s “proper underneath the First Modification.” Nevertheless, some defamation claims will possible survive, together with that the group “used and manipulated” Remini’s estranged and now-dead father and his third spouse to “make false statements about Ms. Remini,” calling her a liar and saying she would not pay for his most cancers therapies. The decide stated that the church may have printed them with “a reckless disregard of the details.”
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So far as Remini’s harassment claims, Hammock stated they’re unlikely to be thrown out. Remini’s allegations included that the group put in surveillance know-how on her neighbor’s residence to spy on her. The church is making an attempt to dismiss these allegations, citing “pre-litigation surveillance,” which is “protected conduct” of their movement, however the decide did not see it that approach. “The courtroom sees no public curiosity within the surveillance of personal residents — even celebrities — underneath an unsupported suspicion that litigation could happen at some later time,” he wrote.
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Hammock additionally stated he’d possible enable at the least a few of Remini’s claims that the church interfered together with her enterprise relationships, citing iHeartRadio and AudioBoom by way of which she broadcast her podcasts, together with the Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath Podcast. Whereas the group can train free speech rights … it can’t “ship brokers to harass the podcast’s producers and workers to the purpose that they feared for his or her security,” the decide wrote.
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The lawsuit is towards the Church of Scientology Worldwide, a department of the group known as the Non secular Expertise Heart (RTC) and its chief David Miscavige. A lawyer for the RTC argued that the lawsuit did not particularly join the RTC to the stalking and harassment, so it needs to be eliminated as a defendant, in response to journalist Tony Ortega, who was in courtroom. Remini’s attorneys had been advised to current connections between the harassment and the RTC or the RTC might be eliminated as a defendant.
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Remini is in search of an injunction to cease the defendants from “continued stalking, harassing and in any other case illegal interference” as this lawsuit performs out. Hammock stated he was leaning towards granting it, however requested her staff to deliver proof of the newest instance of the Church of Scientology harassing her.
Again in courtroom
On Jan. 19, the listening to will choose up the place it left off with the decide figuring out whether or not to strike the defamation claims. There’s additionally a listening to on whether or not Remini shall be granted the preliminary injunction and a listening to on requests for media protection of the case.
What’s this lawsuit all about?
In 2013, Remini left the Church of Scientology — of which she was a 35-year member — over rising discontent with its rules and the practices of high-ranking members. She grew to become one among its chief critics, writing a e book about it in addition to creating reveals and podcasts delving into the allegations swirling across the controversial group. The church fought again, creating a complete web site dedicated to Remini assaults.
In September, Remini filed her bombshell lawsuit towards the group — of which Tom Cruise, John Travolta and the now-incarcerated Danny Masterson are well-known members — and chief Miscavige. She claimed that she has been “stalked, surveilled, harassed, threatened, intimidated” and is the sufferer of “intentional malicious and fraudulent rumors” over her criticism of the group. Amongst her claims is that she was punished for her habits at Cruise’s 2006 marriage ceremony to Katie Holmes and was held afterward at a Scientology facility for 4 months.
To make amends, she needed to make financial donations to issues Cruise would really like. She estimates she spent $5 million throughout her time as a Scientologist on applications and donations. She additionally claimed a mentally in poor health man has been paid by the Church of Scientology to surveil her. (Learn her most jaw-dropping claims.)
What has the Church of Scientology stated about her lawsuit?
The group known as her lawsuit “ludicrous” and “frivolous” and the allegations inside it “pure lunacy.” It branded her a “horrible particular person and poisonous to so many who’ve the misfortune to come back in touch together with her.” (Learn its assertion.)
