The Moment That Prompted Leah Remini to Leave the Church of Scientology

In July 2013, actress Leah Remini made headlines when she decided to leave the Church of Scientology. What most people don't know, Leah says, is that she was raised in the organization and was a devout member for 30 years. "I didn't decide to get into it," she says. "I was brought into it by my mom."

When Leah wasn't on a television set, she says, she was dedicating a minimum of three and a half hours a day, seven days a week to the Church of Scientology. "I'm working most of my time, and then the other time was spent at the church, and so minimal time is really spent with your family," she says. "I remember I was on a course one day, and I was at one of these hotels in Florida, and I saw my daughter swimming for the first time while I'm doing, like, reading this thing. And, like, a tear came down my face, and I was like, 'What am I doing?'"

Leah says that after leaving the organization, close friends cut ties with her and her family. "It's not just something you get over. It's people and a lifestyle you've known all your life," she says. "There are moments where I saw my goddaughter in the street, and my instinct was to run to her, and, you know, her mom turned her back to me."

In the above video, Leah shares more about her experience.

The reality series Leah Remini: It's All Relative returns to TLC in July

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