Joined onscreen by former Scientology exec Mike Rinder and more high-profile ex-Scientologists, the actress premieres the first of her eight-part A&E limited docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath amid attempts by lawyers for the church to discredit its allegations. I think there was a time where maybe Scientology was more accepted, and I didn't particularly find him to be a great example of Scientology — I made that very known to my church. Scobee was ordered to swarm Tom Cruise with Scientologists 
 
 “We went to extremes to make celebrities happy,” Scobee said, “and it was mainly Tom Cruise.” She said it was her job “to surround Tom Cruise with Scientologists on staff.” 
 
 “I had to hire an executive housekeeper, a maid, a cook,” she said. Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't). “They wanted him to only be in Scientology 100%.” Scobee said she witnessed members of The Sea Organization, described on the religion's website as "composed of the singularly most dedicated Scientologists — individuals who have committed their lives to the volunteer service of their religion" cleaning his house and folding his laundry. Disconnection, Scobee remarks, “is the church’s biggest weapon.” 
 
 Money and public exposure might be Remini’s: In response to several letters issued from the Church of Scientology to A&E discrediting Remini, Rinder, and Scobee, and published online by journalist Tony Ortega, Remini’s own attorney hit back demanding the Church pay her $500,000 for defaming her to the network “as at least partial compensation for the past, present and ongoing reputational, emotional and economic injuries and damages she has suffered, and continues to suffer, as a result of this malicious conduct.” When the Church responded by calling Remini “a failed ‘celebrity’ seeking to make a buck off of her former religion,” she upped her demand to $1.5 million.
– Leah Remini's eight-part A&E docu-series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, premiered Tuesday, and brought with it the expected accusations of statutory rape and physical abuse against the church, USA Today reports. Tidbits from the premiere episode, which featured Remini interviewing ex-Scientologists, as well as new interviews Remini has done to promote the premiere: Ex-member Amy Scobee says her married 35-year-old boss at the church's Celebrity Centre took advantage of her. "He had me stay back when everybody else left, and basically we had sex. This was statutory rape, and I was too afraid to tell anyone about it." The incident was never reported to police. Scobee also alleged Scientology leader David Miscavige is abusive: "If you said something that didn’t please him ... if you were a man he would likely hit you, punch you, knock you down, choke you." Scobee says members who misbehave are sent to something called Rehabilitation Project Force, and she herself was sent there before ultimately leaving the church. "You run everywhere you go. You do hard manual labor. You call everybody 'sir.' You have no communication in and no communication out within that group." Security guards keep members from fleeing. Remini tells the Hollywood Reporter that when she was still in the church, and appearing on King of Queens, church officials pressured her on various things. "It’s always, 'Why are you not getting Kevin James in? You’re not setting a good example.' ... There was always pressure to make a Scientologist out of the people you were working with." She also says Tom Cruise pressured her to call Les Moonves and attempt to get a 60 Minutes report on Scientology canceled. The Daily Beast notes, "The majority of Remini’s accusations are still jarring but nothing new. The stronger focus of the first episode is on the different kind of violence that Remini & Co. argue their church committed against its own: destroying families in order to protect Scientology." Remini delves into the process of "disconnection," in which the church forbids members from having relationships with ex-members, even their own children, in the show. According to the Huffington Post, Remini says she herself paid $3 million "if not more" to the church over the years, but that even an "average person" is expected to pay at least $250,000 for their "religious freedom."