Ex-Scientologist Leah Remini claims Katie Holmes left Church to protect daughter Suri

Former Scientologist Leah Remini has branded the controversial Church an “extremist religion” and suggested Katie Holmes severed ties with it to protect the child she has with Tom Cruise.

The notoriously secretive organisation has faced a number of allegations about how it controls followers from Remini, a life-long Scientologist until 2013.

The King of Queens actress spoke at length about Cruise; Scientologly’s most prominent follower, his influence over the Church and how she was allegedly treated after being openly critical about the actor during an interview with ABC 20/20.

Remini, who is releasing a memoir about her life within the Church, said Holmes complained about her behaviour to Scientology leaders at her wedding to Cruise in a “Knowledge Report”. Remini says this alleged incident led to her being sent for “reprogramming”. In a statement, Holmes declined to comment directly on this claim, but voiced her “regret” at having upset Leah in the past in a statement.

“It [Holmes' statement] almost makes me want to cry,” Remini told Good Morning America on Monday.

“It makes me emotional because at the time that Katie and this particular crew were writing reports, it caused me a lot of time and pain in my family, being reprogrammed. So at the time I was fighting with her - I guess for the lack of the better word - within the church, and now I know really what she was going through.

“Looking back now and now seeing her and Suri out there in the world, and her being able to be with her daughter and live her life is […] I’m touched by it. Because I know now that she did what she did in leaving because she had to protect her daughter.”

Holmes and Cruise divorced in 2012.

A Scientology spokesperson said: “The Church of Scientology declines to gossip with Leah Remini. I note that both alleged incidents speak volumes about Leah Remini’s character, as does her callous disregard for the privacy of others.

“Ms. Remini was a Scientologist for some 30 years practicing the religion in which she was raised. It is a documentable fact that she was proud of and supported the religion she was in, and she voluntarily videotaped numerous testimonials on what the Church had done for her and the good that the Church does around the world.

“It is important to note that Ms. Remini desperately did not want to be expelled, so she voluntarily participated in a Church ethics program that consisted of religious study on morals and ethics, a Confessional similar to what other religions practice, and cooperation with a Church Ethics Officer. After confessing to numerous transgressions and promising to reform, she withdrew her promises.

“Our religious expulsion process continued, which found her guilty of having committed a dozen transgressions, leading to her being formally expelled. The Church has had nothing to do with her since then. Only after this did she begin her revisionist history of her time in the Church, and begin her campaign of harassment.“

The Independent has contacted representatives for Cruise and Holmes for comment.