Celebrities, high-profile figures who decided Scientology wasn't for them Leah Remini's A&E docuseries scores huge ratings

Actress Leah Remini's new documentary series on A&E is resurfacing some old, yet still relevant criticisms of the 62-year-old religion, Scientology.

Remini, perhaps most known for her starring role in the TV sitcom "King of Queens," was a former Scientology devotee, joining the church sometime in 1979. During an interview with Ellen DeGeneres on Sept. 9, 2013, she announced she and her family had left Scientology.

"My mother got involved when we were very young, so it's all we ever really knew," she said. "But over time, my eyes opened and I could no longer be affiliated with the organization and my family felt the same, so we left."

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Two years later, Remini went into more detail about her experiences with the church in her memoir "Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology." An excerpt from the book detailed Tom Cruise's outrage at being served prepackaged cookie dough and a chipped mug.

On Nov. 29, A&E debuted the first episode of the 8-episode series "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath." The documentary show aims to reveal "shocking stories of abuse" by people who have left the church of Scientology. The first episode garnered around 2.1 million viewers, the network's best televised premiere in two years, Deadline.com reported.

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The Church of Scientology, not to be besmirched without reprisal, released a lengthy statement on the matter that reads in part:

"Ms. Remini is showing herself to be a spoiled entitled diva who still obsessively complains about such petty matters as her seating placement, limo ride, five-star hotel accommodations and the paparazzi's failure to recognize her nearly a decade ago."

The next episode of Remini's docu-series airs on Dec. 6. According to the teaser, she'll be heading to Clearwater, Fla. to pay a visit to Mike Rinder, an independent Scientologist.

Leah Remini isn't the only celebrity to divorce from the Church of Scientology. In the gallery above, see other high-profile figures who decided L. Ron Hubbard's religion wasn't for them, and keep clicking to see the others who stuck with it.