Tom Cruise And Elisabeth Moss Dragged Into Scientology’s Battle With Leah Remini’s Assistant
Aug. 30 2022, Published 5:00 a.m. ET
Tom Cruise and Elisabeth Moss — two of the Church of Scientology’s most famous followers — are being dragged into a nasty dispute with the assistant of Leah Remini who claimed she was held against her will during her time at the church, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Valerie Haney filed a lawsuit against The Church of Scientology in 2019. In court documents, Haney explained she was born into the religion in 1979. Both of her parents were members. As a child, Haney said she lived in Clearwater, Florida where Scientology has its headquarters.
At age 15, Haney said she signed Scientology’s billion-year contract with the church promising to stay committed to its goal. She alleged she was made to do manual labor seven days a week. Eventually, she said she was able to escape but not before being forced to sign a document by church officials.
“During the routing out process, I was made to sign the departure documents in a room with only Scientology’s general counsel and a man armed with a gun,” Haney said in her lawsuit. “I do not know any of the contents of the documents I signed. I was not given copies of the documents. I signed any document that was given to me because I just wanted it to be over and to get out of there."
In 2018, Haney appeared on Remini’s A&E show Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath where she spoke about her time in the church. This led to a video being produced entitled “Valerie Haney: Leah’s Paid Liar.”
Haney believed the church was behind the video that contained false and defamatory information.
In response, the Church of Scientology demanded the dispute be moved to the church’s internal religious arbitration process pointing to the document signed by Haney. Scientologists run the proceedings. The Church of Scientology denies the allegations in Haney's lawsuit and disputed the claim that there was a man with a gun in the room with her.
The Church of Scientology was successful in having the case moved to arbitration where the parties are fighting now.
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According to Tony Ortega from The Underground Bunker, Haney and the church are going back in forth over who will preside over the proceedings.
Last month, Haney wrote a letter to the church to start the arbitration process. The first step is she is allowed to pick one representative from the church, the church picks another and then those two people pick a third.
Haney said she picked Elisabeth Moss as a proposed arbitrator. However, she was informed Moss had declined the nomination to serve and was told to pick another person.
In response, Haney told the Church of Scientology she wants Tom Cruise to be the arbitrator. She told them if Tom isn’t available she’ll take Shelly Miscavige as a third option.
Shelley is the wife of the leader of the church, David Miscavige. Remini previously filed a missing person’s report with the LAPD over Shelley but officers said they had confirmed David’s wife was fine. Remini argued the officers never explained if they saw Shelly in person or only spoke to a person who identified themselves as Shelley on a phone call.
RadarOnline.com has reached out to the Church for comment.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the Church of Scientology is also involved in a civil lawsuit brought by Danny Masterson's accusers.