Haggis defended over claims of sex abuse
Remini, Rinder ‘standing up’ for ex-Scientologist
Leah Remini and Mike Rinder, who co- host the A& E show Scientology and the Aftermath, published an open letter on Monday defending screenwriter and former Scientologist Paul Haggis, who was accused of sexual misconduct by four women earlier this month.
Haggis denied all allegations ( including two accusations of rape), and has since countersued publicist Haleigh Breest for extortion, after she accused him of raping her in 2013 following a movie premiere. He claims she approached him for a $ 9- million settlement to avoid going public.
Remini and Rinder believe the allegations are “suspect,” as the Church of Scientology often goes after former members, something that has been well documented in their series and the HBO documentary Going Clear, both of which have featured Haggis in a prominent role.
For the record, none of the accusers are Scientologists.
In the letter, the pair write: “Those who accuse without going to law enforcement, those who seek hush money to keep their stories secret, those who make accusations to the media anonymously — they are suspect. And when the target of these tactics is someone who is a prominent critic of scientology, it is very suspect.”
They continue: “When someone is a declared an ‘enemy’ by scientology, they are fair game. ... We expect the next ‘ revelations’ about Paul Haggis in this campaign to destroy him to be based on information culled from his scientology files in the form of more ‘ anonymous’ accusers, hiding behind a lawyer who will never have to disclose who is paying their bill.”
Remini and Rinder go on to acknowledge that their letter could be considered controversial in light of the #MeToo movement, but “the fear of consequences for speaking our truth has not held us back in the past and isn’t about to start now.”
They conclude: “In this time of heightened awareness of sexual predators, it is easy to remain quiet when an injustice is being perpetrated for fear of being tarred as politically incorrect. But more important to us than being politically correct is standing up for what we believe is right.”
Remini has also claimed in recent months that the Church has been helping to bury the multiple sexual assault claims current Church member Danny Masterson is facing, after an investigation was inexplicably stalled by the LAPD, which she claims has a close relationship with the Church.
The Church of Scientology has since responded in a statement denying their accusations: “Leah Remini, Paul Haggis a nd Mike Rinder have predictably thrown up a reprehensible smokescreen to turn horrific sexual assault and rape allegations made against Haggis by four women into a bigoted attack about their former religion.”