now, however, leah remini has. >>ed from a fierce defender of the fade -- >> without any scientology organization, things are not going to change on this planet. >> reporter: to the most famous member to leave and go public with her new book called "troublemaker" about to hit shelves, the church is calling her a liar, self-absorbed, rude, and embarrassing. as leah levels scathing criticisms against scientology and its most well-known follower, tom cruise. >> i think it's a privilege to call yourself a scientologist. will hear tonight, leah says the beginning of the end of her more than three decades in scientology came at the tom cruise/katie holmes wedding. but leah's scientology story started, she says, when her mom vicki, fresh off a divorce, threw herself into the religion founded by science fiction writer l. ron hubbard. >> we know the basics of human existence and so forth applied in almost any sphere. >> your understanding, what is the goal and promise of scientology? >> to freeman kind. to make a sane world

document which she claims to be holmes herself. >> it starts with, i was displayed at the behavior of leah remini leading up to the events during our wedding and wedding. >> reporter: leah says she had crossed two pillars of scientologist, tom cruise and the chairman of the board david miscavige. and now she was being taken to task. >> basically they were just trying to get me to recant what i said. to apologize for ruining the wedding of the century. >> why didn't you just leave? >> i wasn't ready to leave the church. >> reporter: in fact, she says she was so loyal that before the wedding, she'd even cut ties with her old friend sherry owens, now an ex-scientologist, because leah thought sherry's brother had become antagonistic toward the church. >> did she formally disconnect from you? >> she never said anything to me. but i never heard from him. >> reporter: leah was, in some ways, living a double life. outwardly a committed scientologist. but inwardly nursing doubts. not just about the organization, but also about its cosmic theology. one example, back in 2003, when of scientology's bridge to

leah's side of the story. it's a story that begins far from the 10,000-square-foot l.a. mansion remini now occupies, in the place, 3,000 miles away, she used to call home. the tight-knit italian neighborhood of bensonhurst, brooklyn. what was leah like as a little kid? >> she was wild. she was very funny. she made me laugh. always theatrical. >> reporter: what kind of kid were you? >> i think i was a pain in the ass kid. i always felt like i was kind of an outsider because i didn't have the right things. i didn't have a cadillac. i didn't have, you know, plastic on my furniture. that was the right way to be, if you were italian. >> reporter: at age 7, a seismic change in leah's life. her parents divorced. her mom, vicki, searching for meaning, got deeply into scientology, the religion founded by science fiction writer l. ron hubbard. in your understanding, what is the goal and the promise of scientology? >> to free mankind. to make a sane world. >> reporter: vicky was working at scientology's building in times square. >> she was never home. at the church morning, noon and night. >> it

>> sure, it starts with, i was dismayed at the behavior of leah remini during the events leading up to our wedding and our wedding. the behavior as a guest, a friend, a fellow scientologist was very upsetting. >> reporter: leah says she had scientology, tom cruise and chairman of the board david miscavige and here in to task. >> basically they were just trying to get me to recant what i said, to apologize for ruining >> reporter: why didn't you just leave? >> i wasn't ready to leave the church. you are giving up everything you have ever known and everything you have worked for your whole life. so yes, i said everything they needed me to say. and once i did that, i was free to go home. >> reporter: by all appearances, leah resumed her life as an active scientologist. >> there you are. what are you doing? >> reporter: she continued taking church courses. and doing her auditing sessions, while "the king of queens" ended its nine-year run in spring 2007. that fall, leah says she wrote this as a letter to david miscavige, apologizing for "acting like a complete idiot at the wedding" and say

here at abc news hand delivering this package containing all kinds of damaging statements about leah remini. but it may surprise you that leah is already making many of those same statements in her new book. you say, "i am an apostate. i have lied. i have cheated." you then go on to admit that you have been selfish, physically threatened people and been a horrible wife and mother. >> correct. i know what, my former church -- how they deal with people who tell their story. and so i wanted to be the one to say it. didn't say this stuff, the church was going to say it for you? >> reporter: the church calls her a "liar, self absorbed, but before you decide, listen to leah's side of the story. it's a story that begins far from the 10,000-square-foot l.a. mansion remini now occupies, in the place, 3,000 miles away, she used to call home. the tight-knit italian neighborhood of bensonhurst, brooklyn. what was leah like as a little kid? >> she was wild. she was very funny. she made me laugh. always theatrical. >> reporter: what kind of kid were you? >> i think i was a pain in the ass kid. have the r

leah remini was captured with friends jennifer lopez and then-husband marc anthony. >> i was hoping to get a picture where i looked gorgeous and stunning. instead i look like that. >> reporter: leah says at the wedding where scientology's chairman of the board david miscavige served as best man church officials took their cruise adulation to a new level. she was annoyed by what she saw as ham-handed efforts to separate her from her friend jennifer lopez by having them travel in separate vehicles and sit at different tables. >> they were trying to distract me. >> why? >> i could only assume. because they wanted to take jennifer a scientologist, maybe i was barring that road for them. >> reporter: the church tells abc news in regards to the wedding, every claim ms. remini has made is not only untrue but ridiculous and stupid. for her part, leah says what she saw was enough for her to take a radical step. she says she filed a wide-ranging knowledge report to the church, complaining about various scientologists at the wedding. >> you left the wedding on a mission to save scientology? >> ri

sitcom star leah remini on leaving the church. tonight, right here, the dan harris interview. breaking her silence on scientology and on tom cruise for the first time. one of the country's biggesties financial services firms? or 13,000 financial advisors who say thank you? it's why edward jones is the big company that doesn't act that way. (vo) around age 7, the glucose metabolism in a dog's brain begins to change. (ray) i'd like to see her go back to her more you know social side. she literally started changing. it was shocking. she's much more aware. (jan) she loves the food. (ray) the difference has been incredible. she wants to learn things. (vo) purina pro plan bright mind promotes alertness and mental sharpness in dogs 7 and older. purina pro plan. nutrition that performs. if youthen you'll know howouth, uncomfortable it can be. but did you know that the lack of saliva can also lead to tooth decay and bad breath? well, there is biotene, specially formulated with moisturizers and lubricants. biotene can provide soothing relief and it helps keep your mouth healthy too. bio

leah remini, one-on-one with dan harris about her life in scientology. her interactions with tom cruise and katie holmes. tonight, a statement from katie holmes right here. >>> and a major warning about peanut butter. the popular brand being recalled. >>> and the coach tossing the puck to a boy, an adult stealing it away. we've got the boy right here tonight. you've got to see how this story ends. come on back. away. you've got to see how this story ends. come on back. scream over here and freak out over there! and maybe go back to laughing here. and crying there. try not to laugh here though, it's rude. and maybe don't cry here, people will get the wrong idea. introducing the all in one plan. only from directv and at&t. it takes a lot of work... but i really love it.s. i'm on the move all day long... and sometimes, i just don't eat the way i should. so i drink boost® to get the nutrition that i'm missing. boost complete nutritional drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and vitamin d to support strong bones and 10 grams of prote

actress leah remini from "king of queens" on sign tolcientology and tonight, one-on-one with dan harris, breaking her silence on tom cruise. and we begin tonight with the frigightening moments for more than 100 passengers and crew on board a plane moving toward takeoff when part of the plane bursts i into flames. it happened in ft. lauderdale. a boeing 767, the plane right there engulfed in smoke and ames. it was getting ready for takeoff when another pilot notices something is wrong. that fuel is leaking. moments later, the fire ball erupts. the crew acting swiftly. the emergency chute deployed. at least 15 injujured. tonight, we're now hearingng from the passengers who were on board, with fire right outside their windows. abc's david kerley, leading us off. >> reporter: passengers frantically fleeing the burning jet liner, sliding down emergency evacuation chutes. >> i heard a loud bang, turned around, saw the lights, saw flames. ran to the front of the aircraft. >> reporter: at that point, the jet was still moving toward takeoff. flightttendants moving into action. >> he calmly as so

. >>> leah remini, the sitcom star opening up to me about her life growing up in scientology. >> they provide room and board and you work there and you sign a billion year contract. >> why she left? the controversial church and would her family stand by her. >> >> spook-tacular morning. we revisit the legend of sleepy hollow. the headless horseman leads the way, the fearless "gma" keep. well, some of us. braving a frightful night of we say -- >> good morning, america. happy halloween, it's saturday, october 31st. it's "good morning america." halloween. we'll blow it out. we have kids, dogs, we've got rob standing by in sleepy hollow, we're all in. look at the kids and it's all coming up just a little bit later in the show this morning. >> oh, yes. halloween. >>> tragic and breaking news. board went down overnight. >> it was en route from the popular red sea resort of sharm el sheikh, egypt, to st. petersburg, russia, when it crashed in the sinai peninsula. >> it is an airbus a-321. had more than 200 people onrd board and disappeared 23 minutes after takeoff. good morning, alex. >> rep

. >>> and abc exclusive with leah remini. >> being critical of tom cruise is being critical of scientology itself. >> from friends -- >> what were your impressions of him? >> it's what are you doing, how are you doing? >> to troublemaker. >> i was written up for that. >> her explosive interview. what she says her life was like inside the controversial world of scientology only on "gma." >>> ghoul morning, america. it's our most spook-tacular halloween yet. we've hung with the pope, olivia pope, honeymooned with hollywood royalty,ent ga-ga for the royal baby and were "frozen" with delight. think you've seen it all? you ain't seen nothing yet. get ready for the biggest, scariest, mo hilarious halloween in times square ever only on "gma." frombc news, live in times scare, friday, october 30th this is ghoul morning, america. >> times scare. i love that. we do good morning, america. yes, we are getting in the halloween spirit. we're not the only one, look at the crowd. look at the crowd this morning all dressed up in their costumes and we are counting down to a giant lip-sync pare! our "monster

. >>> leah remini, the sitcom star opening up to me about her life growing up in scientology. >> they provide room and board, and you work there, and you sign a billion year contract. >> a billion year contract. why she left? the controversial church and would her family stand by her. >>> and spooktacular morning. we revisit "the legend of sleepy hollow." the headless horseman leads the way, the fearless "gma" team. well, some of us. braving a frightful night of surprises, the ghoulish fun as we say -- >> good morning, america. happy halloween. it's saturday, october 31st. it's "good morning america." >>> hey, good morning and happy halloween. we're going to blow it out this morning. we've got kids. we've got dogs. we've got rob standing by in sleepy hollow, we're all in. look at the kids and it's all coming up just a little bit later in the show this morning. >> and we also have you. >> oh, yes. >> which is always good for hall. but we do have to start with some tragic and breaking news from overseas. a plane with more than 200 people on board went down overnight. >> the plane was en

that's actress leah remini. we're about to hear from her opening up about her very public break from scientology. >> candid stuff. >>> and congressman paul ryan will be elected speaker of the house today. in his acceptance speech he's going to ask both pears for a period of healing. he will be the youngest speaker in nearly 150 years. >>> record-setting day in space. scott kelly breaks the record for longest single space visit, 126 straight days. he sets the mark less than 24 hours after making his first space walk. he will be on the international space station until march. >> wow. happy friday eve, everybody. >>> also this morning, oh, we just think of the number 40. very special to all of us here. >> i miss 40. >> very special to us. we're going to have more ahead in the next hour. >> that is all coming up. >>> right now we will begin with leah remini taking on scientology in her new memoir, "troublemaker: surviving hollywood and scientology". and she sat down with dan harris for a candid conversation about he

. >> actress leah remini is again taking on scientology in her new book and she sat down with abc's dan exclusive preview. >> reporter: long before she was tv riotty starring on the hit cbs sit-com "the king of queens," >> do you have to build yourself up by tearing me down? >> yes. >> reporter: leah remini was a child who joined scientology at the behest of her mother who are to use church terminology, brought her daughter into the faith and put her on course. >> what does that mean go on course? >> learn how to apply the techniques of scientology to yourself and others. >> so for a kid who was always looking around cparing herself to other people to be part of a faith where you had a mission to save -- >> the planet save the planet. >> reporter: that must have been a big deal. >> yes. and because scientologists view children as spiritual beings, you're not treated as a kid. so you're given a lot of responsibility. your ego becomes extremely inflated. >> reporter: leah would go on to be an active member of the church for more than three decades. >> i love it. i love being involved with