As the Emmy Award winner was announced David Miscavige, the leader of Scientology, leapt from the couch in his luxury apartment, threw his half-empty whiskey glass at the wall and turned on a young staffer, screaming abuse in a fit of violent rage.

That's how I imagine his reaction based on first-hand accounts of how he handles bad news. This is Very Bad News.

Leah Remini’s Show Scientology: The Aftermath winning in Los Angeles at the weekend could well signal the beginning of the end for the Church of Scientology.

For years the sins of the ‘Celebrity Cult’ were tolerated, even ignored, by the establishment, in part, because several high-profile stars joined their ranks. John Travolta, Kirsty Alley and Tom Cruise were making studios millions of dollars and there was nothing to be gained by questioning their support for a group whispered to abuse people in terrible ways.

That has all changed.

View photos Leah Remini’s Show Scientology: The Aftermath won at the Emmys at the weekend. Photo: Getty More

In 2013, after 34 years in Scientology, Leah Remini left the group. The star of hit American sitcom “King of Queens” for nine seasons, she was the ‘biggest’ celebrity to walk.

Since the age of nine, Remini had become indoctrinated with the teachings of Scientology and publicly promoted and defended the group. She would later tell me she had no idea how violent the leader David Miscavige was and how much harm her group was doing.

Soon after leaving, Remini penned a best-selling book “Troublemaker”. Then she decided to do something to stop the rot. Her TV series ‘Scientology: The Aftermath’ features former high-raking Scientologists detailing the shocking truth about what was done to them and their families.

Scientology was founded by pulp science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard. After dabbling in Black Magic and serving an unremarkable period in the navy, Hubbard decided to reinvent himself. He wrote Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health. It was an atomic age hit with readers, intrigued by the notion that the wonders of science could help humans achieve serenity.

From there, Hubbard realised “You don’t get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion.”

L Ron Hubbard made it clear what he was doing, writing in 1954: ‘[Scientology] is neither a psychotherapy nor a religion."

View photos Scientology was founded by pulp science fiction write L Ron Hubbard. Photo: Getty More

Australia was the first country in the world to establish in law Scientology as a religion. After it was banned in Victoria and the group lost a payroll tax decision in the Supreme Court, Scientology appealed to the High Court which, in 1983, produced, in my opinion, an appalling about face.

Story continues