Ex-Scientologist Leah Remini claims being critical of Tom Cruise ‘is being critical of Church itself’ in interview about life as a member

Former Scientologist Leah Remini has claimed Tom Cruise had an overwhelming influence on the controversial Church in an interview about her time as a high ranking member.

The King of Queens actress was a practicing Scientologist for more than 30 years before breaking away in 2013. Remini had reportedly climbed the echelons of the Church, eventually reaching the third highest spiritual level, 'Operation Thetan Leval Five', before her departure.

She described the “hard repercussions” of quitting Scientology for her reality television show, Leah Remini: It's All Relative, in July this year.

Remini spoke to ABC 20/20 for an exclusive interview about her alleged experiences within the notoriously secretive and litigious Church, an excerpt of which has been released in a trailer for the network.

“Being critical of Tom Cruise is being critical of Scientology itself - you are evil,” she told her host David Muir.

The decision to leave, she said, is “the decision to give up everything you have worked for your whole life. I feel that people need to understand that this has been my whole life”.

The Church of Scientology has been hit by a number of claims recently about the control it has over former members. Earlier this year the actress Carmen Llywelyn wrote an essay claiming she had been labelled a “suppressive person” and cut off from her ex-husband Jason Lee.

A representative for the Church repeated it's scathing rebuttal to her comments earlier this year. A spokesperson told The Independent: "Our earlier statement stands. It comes as no surprise that someone as self-absorbed as Leah Remini with an insatiable craving for attention would exploit her former faith as a publicity stunt by rewriting her history with it, including omitting that she was participating in a program to remain a Scientologist by her own choice, as she was on the verge of being expelled for her ethical lapses."

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology will air on all ABC New programmes on 30 October. A representative for Cruise has been contacted for comment.