Jason Lee attends the premiere of "Wreck-It Ralph" on October 29, 2012. Lee has stated that he has left the Church of Scientology in a new interview. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

DENTON, Texas, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Jason Lee has confirmed that he has left the Church of Scientology in a new interview about his life since moving to Denton, Texas.

Lee who had started practicing the religion in the early '90s, relocated his family including wife Ceren Alkac, their daughter Casper, 8, and son Sonny, 4, in 2015 in order to live a quieter lifestyle.


According to the actor, locally there had been rumors that he was looking to build a Scientology center in the area.

"Being that we don't practice Scientology, and that we aren't particularly interested in opening religious centers in general, we have no plans to open a Scientology center," he said to local publication The Dentonite in order to address the rumors.

"Quite a few rumors about me/us floating around but none of it's true," Lee continued. "We're not here to buy up or change or take over Denton, put some kind of personal stamp on it. We're just here like anyone else who wants to be a part of Denton's very cool creative community, and to be involved and perhaps help where we can."

Lee is the latest celebrity to abandon the religion following director Paul Haggis who left Scientology in 2009 and actress Leah Remini who quit in 2013. Remini was outspoken against the church last year, publishing a memoir entitled Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology in which she chronicled her time with the religion.

"The decision to leave is you are giving up everything you've worked for your whole life," she said in an interview at the time to promote the book. "As time goes on, you start to lose touch with the real world. The mindset becomes 'us against them.'"