A&E Has Picked Up A Second Season Of Leah Remini: Scientology And The Aftermath

[Primetimer]

So there are more stories to tell?! (Just kidding, there are thousands.)

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[laurakaye]

Yes, so excited!! Leah and Rinder aren't close to being done. Can't wait!

[FormerMod-a1]

I am so happy, too.  This whole thing fascinates me so much, and I still know a lot of people that don't know how bad CO$ really is.  Anything to keep spreading the word is good in my book.

[Al Lowe]

YES.

[poeticlicensed]

It probably burns COS that not only is Leah outing their dirty deeds, she is raising her celeb profile and making money from this. Revenge is sweet!

[alannaofdoom]

So thrilled to hear this news! 

[Sarah D. Bunting]

I'm just mad it's not starting tomorrow.

[Empress1]

OH HELL YES.

[WInterfalls]

Yay!!! I was getting worried that it wasn't going to happen.

[annewithaneee]

Good! I was a little iffy on my overall impression of Leah from her book, warmed up to her more from this show, and now that she's helping other former CoS members through trying to get the LAPD to give a shit that Danny Masterson raped them (and the Church intimidated them into silence), I am all about her and her crusade. The more that the Church is embarrassed and hounded, the quicker they'll fully implode, with any luck.

[Lady Iris]

Yes! This was truly riveting television.

[Indy]

Excellent! I'm glad that she & A&E are going forward with a second season. 

[Uncle JUICE]

I'm glad too. I kinda wish they'd expand this show's ideas a little and cover apostasy experiences in general, not just for this sect. The nation's religiously unaffiliated sector is growing faster than any other faith, I think it'd be an interesting time to gather some stories of people letting go of other faiths they way they have let go of Scientology. I'm surprised to read that Leah is back to being a Catholic, to be honest. 

[FairyDusted]

YEA!!!!!! So glad it's coming back. I'm surprised she returned to Catholicism too. I'd imagine she'd have to catch up on the sacraments but considering all the studying she did with Wacho that should be easy. I wish that we could get into what they actually believe in. Damn billion year contracts! Even the Pligs give us a why....kinda.     

[Maelstrom]

Excellent news! I knew she wouldn't be able to just let things go, especially after the first season helped so many people. Good for you, Leah, continuing the fight!

[Wings]

35 minutes ago, Uncle JUICE said:

I'm glad too. I kinda wish they'd expand this show's ideas a little and cover apostasy experiences in general, not just for this sect. The nation's religiously unaffiliated sector is growing faster than any other faith, I think it'd be an interesting time to gather some stories of people letting go of other faiths they way they have let go of Scientology. I'm surprised to read that Leah is back to being a Catholic, to be honest. 

Their beliefs are common in most spiritual books I have read from Buddhism to Law of Attraction.  Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich, contains the basic idea of creating your own life through positive thought, basically.  What you focus on can become reality.  Not just money.  Ask and it is Given by Abraham Hicks is another.  

What they teach is solid stuff.  You can be any religion and follow the wisdom though some things in Christianity would have to be ignored and many do exactly that anyway.   

Edited March 15, 2017 by wings707

[cpansy]

Yea! I know she has more to say about Scientology, and I will be glad to see Leah and Rinder go after the COS again. Like most here, I also would love for her to examine multiple kinds of cults and discuss deprogramming. I was inspired to do more COS reading after the first series and Scientology continues to be a fount of depressing, heartfelt stories about lives ruined. They definitely need their tax exemption revoked, and quickly.

[Silly Angel]

I thought there was supposed to be a bonus episode of the first season called "Apostasy," that detailed Leah's own experience with the CoS. Still waiting for that.

[zxy556575]

Go, hurricane Leah!

[tabloidlover]

Awesome!  Best news I've had in a few weeks.  Scientology messed with the wrong chick....  Go Leah!

[spaceghostess]

Excellent. It was hard to watch season 1, but what Leah's doing is so very important.

[Atlanta]

Yay! Almost finished with her book.

[CofCinci]

9 hours ago, Silly Angel said:

I thought there was supposed to be a bonus episode of the first season called "Apostasy," that detailed Leah's own experience with the CoS. Still waiting for that.

It exists. Perhaps they'll show it next season. 

[Uncle JUICE]

17 hours ago, cpansy said:

Yea! I know she has more to say about Scientology, and I will be glad to see Leah and Rinder go after the COS again. Like most here, I also would love for her to examine multiple kinds of cults and discuss deprogramming. I was inspired to do more COS reading after the first series and Scientology continues to be a fount of depressing, heartfelt stories about lives ruined. They definitely need their tax exemption revoked, and quickly.

Sadly, I doubt this will ever happen. As I discussed in another thread that disappeared, once you decide what is and isn't a 'real' religion and therefore not open to tax exemption, you have established a potential precedent that makes much, much larger and much, much wealthier religions more vulnerable than they are today. As those religions control large voting blocks, things would get very ugly very quickly, with religions turning against their government because denomination X of Christianity (say people who handle snakes) are somehow viewed as "less legitimately religious" than the Catholic Church, just to use an example. Government officials will kill any effort to lift the tax exemption status out of self preservation. They should have never caved in the first place, but even then, if they HADN'T given in, they'd have had a very hard argument on their hands: how do we determine that Xenu's followers are adhering to something less legitimate than your average white evangelical voting Christian? 

[mattie0808]

HELL. YES.

I really admire her for doing this and seriously sticking with it. I read her book two weeks ago -- in like, two sittings -- and continue to be struck by the fact that she's able to do this not only as a celebrity, but as someone who has refused to let the church use her past and any transgressions against her. Her family seems to be largely the same way (given what she writes about her husband and parents on the very first page). That can be an incredibly hard thing to do and mean it, especially when you haven't lived anything near a "perfect" or whatever life. I get the feeling it's something that's just in their nature and personalities, but it can't be easy putting yourself out there to this extent against a church you believed in for 30-35 years.

Anyway, I'm ready. Bring on Season 2! Go, Leah, Go!

Edited March 16, 2017 by mattie0808

[Wings]

I would like to see Leah interview defectors who have stories to tell that come from strength.  NOT criticizing the tearful accounts, not at all.  It is important to see the horror.  I just want to see varied approaches to the same experience.  

In case you missed this in another thread.  Below is Nick Lister's tale.  It is refreshing to hear someone who questioned authority, thumbed his nose at it and left.  Very witty guy with a strong sense of self who was able to retain his personal power.  He is crude sometimes and swears, just so you know.   I am sure he experienced the horror (everyone does) but chose to tell another side here.  

[purplemonkey]

Not sure if this is the right thread, but this ad just presented in my Twitter feed. I don't follow any of the players of the show and I don't search keywords related to the show. 

[funky-rat]

I've seen this before, and it was greatly overblown, IIRC.

[Atlanta]

5 hours ago, purplemonkey said:

Not sure if this is the right thread, but this ad just presented in my Twitter feed. I don't follow any of the players of the show and I don't search keywords related to the show. 

:o Soon there will be whoispurplemonkey.com That's creepy.

[lor]

i find these stories fascinating. To think that l. ron hubbard could convince people to believe Scientology, buy the same books,sign contracts, cut family and friends out of thier life. these people stories are heartbreaking.

i woulf like to know more about the children that sign billion year contracts. i don't know if leah will interview people who signed as a child. i read about Scientology schools and Scientology is all the children learn .they are taugt to use clay to sculpt objects. 

i read going clear,inside scientology,and leah's book.

[iMonrey]

I just learned about the renewal. I'm surprised somewhat, because Remini said she wasn't interested in doing another season of it after the first one aired. I guess A&E threw some money at her. I hate to be a cynic about it, but then again I really don't care what her motives might be. She did a good thing either way and will continue to do so.

Last season left us with a bit of a cliff-hanger, as she and Rinder spoke with some legal types about a possible lawsuit - it was all very vague and she wasn't able to speak openly about it. I hope we learn more about that and what became of it.

[Giselle]

Good! I hope she pulls that cult down into ruin.