LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Tom Cruise’s wedding with Katie Holmes in 2006 was probably one of the grandest wedding ceremonies of the decade. While the Church of Scientology’s head, David Miscavige, himself presided over the ceremony, the event saw many celebrities in attendance. One of them was the ‘Delola’ founder Jennifer Lopez. However, according to her friend Leah Remini, Lopez did not have the best time of her life during the wedding.
Remini, who was a member of Scientology for almost three decades, left the Church because of differences in opinion. Since then, she has been busting secrets of the cult like religion. In an interview with 20/20, as reported by People, she said she was asked to invite her friend Jennifer Lopez and her former husband Marc Anthony to Cruise’s wedding with Holmes.
READ MORE
Tom Cruise claims he 'learned to read perfectly' despite being dyslexic because of Scientology
In the tell-all interview, she revealed, “The Church was really the one who invited them,” before adding, “On Tom’s behalf.” However, the Church allegedly did not like Remini’s involvement with Lopez during the three-day affair as they probably wanted to induct the ‘Maid in Manhattan’ star in their faith. Remini continued, “They were trying to extract me,” and added, “I can only assume because they wanted to make Jennifer a Scientologist. Maybe I was barring that road for them.”
However, ‘The King of Queens’ star opined that Lopez saw through their plan. She further continued, “I didn’t save her from anything. Jennifer is a very strong-minded female, and is a seeker of spirituality. She’s Catholic—always has been—and her father is a very indoctrinated Scientologist, and has been for quite a long time. He’s achieved the confidential levels of Scientology. But Jennifer makes her own decisions.”
She added later, “Yes, I did [run interference], but she disagreed with the disconnection policy, so she wasn’t going to submit to any pressures from anybody regardless, and she was a really good friend to me through all that,” as per Daily Beast.
Remini also talked about Scientology's favorite disciple Tom Cruise. “Being critical of Tom Cruise is being critical of Scientology itself,” before adding, “You are a person who is anti the aims and goals of Scientology, you are evil,” she said.
Leah Remini and Katie Holmes
It was also said that following the wedding, Remini grew distant from the Church which subsequently resulted in her renouncing the faith, and even Cruise’s newly wedded wife Holmes filed a misconduct report, termed as ‘Knowledge Report’ against her. However, as People reported, Holmes apologized for the act through a statement. The statement read, “I regret having upset Leah in the past, and wish her only the best in the future.”
'Not only untrue but ridiculous and stupid'
Because of her statements, Remini was called out by the Church too. One spokesperson commented on the show, “Every claim Miss Remini has made is not only untrue but ridiculous and stupid.”
In another statement to People, the then Church International Spokesperson Karin Pouw said that the allegations were just baseless, “It comes as no surprise that someone as self-absorbed as Leah Remini with an insatiable craving for attention would exploit her former faith as a publicity stunt by rewriting her history with it, including omitting that she was participating in a program to remain a Scientologist by her own choice, as she was on the verge of being expelled for her ethical lapses.”
