Actress Leah Remini kicked off the new season of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" by opening up for the first time about her split from the Church of Scientology, US Weekly reports.
The 43-year-old actress left the controversial church in July after reportedly questioning the whereabouts of David Miscavige's wife Shelly. Remini didn't divulge exactly why she left the Church in her sit down with DeGeneres but did speak about how she and her family have been coping.
She told the talk show host that since she left the Church she has lost a lot of friends confirming the rumor that members are not allowed to talk to people who have removed themselves from the religion.
"These are friends that we've had for dozens of years. But I have great friends, other friends that are not in the Church, that have stood by us," she said. "Our family is stronger, we're together and that's all I can ask for."
Sweetly DeGeneres told Remini that she could still count on her as a friend. During the interview the "King of Queens" actress explained that the religion was the only thing she and her sister, who also left the Church, knew but she couldn't continue being a member when she felt uneasy about certain things.
"My mother got involved when we were 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, se we left."
Remini confirmed in the past that she will be writing a tell-all book about her experiences, People reports.
"It will include my experiences, everything that's taboo to talk about," she said.
"I believe that people should be able to question things," she said. "I believe that people should value family, and value friendships, and hold those things sacrosanct. That for me, that's what I'm about. It wouldn't matter what it was, simply because no one is going to tell me how I need to think, no one is going to tell me who I can, and cannot, talk to."
