Scientology Bashes A&E for Pulling KKK Series While Keeping Leah Remini's 'Aftermath'

The Church of Scientology argues that pulling a KKK series but keeping Leah Remini's "anti-Scientology" show is "hypocritical."

December 28, 2016

Not Available Lead — Image via Complex Original
Complex Original

The Church of Scientology feels some type of way about A&E's recent decision to pull the plug on that perplexing Ku Klux Klan docuseries. In a letter obtained by TMZ Wednesday, an attorney for the church accuses the network of being "hypocritical" by not also pulling the plug on Leah Remini's Scientology and the Aftermath.

"It is hypocritical for A&E to proclaim its intent to 'expose and combat racism and hatred in all its forms' in cancelling the KKK show and at the same time promote Leah Remini's program which promotes hatred that A&E claims that it wants to stop," the letter reads. The letter, TMZ adds, also characterizes Remini's docuseries as providing "free advertising and promotion" for what the church describes as "anti-Scientology" texts.

A&E, however, refutes this. Remini is an executive producer on the series and, as the network has explained, "not the member of a hate group." In a statement to Variety Wednesday afternoon regarding the letter, a spokesperson for the church said simply: "The letter speaks for itself."

Speaking with Larry King earlier this week, Remini said she would welcome legal action from the church. "I mean, it's as simple as that," Remini, a former Scientologist, said. "I mean, if we're lying… Listen. They say this on every outlet they can. They've said that about every single person who's spoken out and not one lawsuit has been brought to anybody. This is not a group that is scared of a lawsuit. They're a litigious group. So, if that were true, they would simply sue us and I welcome them to do that."