Leah Remini and Lisa Marie Presley's friendship is in tatters — and it's all because of Scientology, claims a new report.
Both women were raised in the controversial church. Leah, 47, made headlines when she left the religion in 2013 after more than 30 years as a Scientologist, and in recent years, she's been its No. 1 critic: In 2015, she wrote a book, "Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology," in which she discussed her former faith and the behavior of some of its most high-profile members. In 2016, she launched an Emmy-nominated documentary-style show on A&E, "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath" — to highlight what she says is the dark side of the religion, including alleged abuses of its Sea Org members and how its policy of "disconnection" tears families apart.
Sources tell the New York Post that Lisa Marie has ended her and Leah's long friendship because, its Page Six column reported on Aug. 26, Lisa Marie "became convinced she was being manipulated."
"Leah and Lisa Maria were good friends. They grew up together. Lisa Marie has been going through a hard time in her life and has been battling addiction, and Leah tried to convince Lisa to leave Scientology and join her in trying to bring the church down," a Hollywood source explained to Page Six. "Lisa was very down because of her divorce and drugs. Once Lisa got sober and started turning her life around, she started to believe Leah's actions were dangerous. She felt she was being manipulated."
Lisa Marie, 49, has had a difficult year: In June 2016, she filed to divorce her fourth husband, musician Michael Lockwood, 56, and amid the contentious split, both lost custody of their 8-year-old twin daughters, Harper and Finley, who have been living with grandmother Priscilla Presley for months now. Multiple reports also reveal that Lisa Marie went to rehab last year and has continued to work on her sobriety ever since.
Elvis Presley' only child reportedly left Scientology sometime between 2012 and 2014 and, despite claims she returned to the church — which counts her daughter from her first marriage, Riley Keough, 28, and mom Priscilla, 72, among its celebrity members — during her alleged addiction battle, Page Six reported in June that she had not actually rejoined. "To the best of my information, Lisa Marie Presley is not back in [the church]," Scientology expert Tony Ortega told Page Six at the time. "She is going through a lot of trouble in her life right now. But she has not rejoined."
According to Page Six's Hollywood source, "The message from Leah's show is causing problems for Scientologists in Hollywood. Children of Lisa Marie's Scientologist friends are getting bullied in school because of things said. There have been more reports of harassment against Scientologists, and Lisa Marie believes they are related to things said on Leah's show … Things are getting scary. Lisa Marie freaked out and wants nothing to do with Leah."
While reps for both stars declined to comment to Page Six, a source close to Leah told the column that "Leah never asked Lisa Marie to appear on the show, and, in fact, Lisa Marie was supportive of Leah's decision to leave the church."