American actress and former Scientologist Leah Remini is out to prove that the group's most famous member, Tom Cruise, is not the nice guy he seems to be.
The actress has a new podcast, Scientology: Fair Game, which centres on Scientology's alleged practice of using intimidation to silence its critics.
She told The Daily Beast: "Tom has got away with being this 'nice guy' because that's what Scientology policy says - to create good public relations in the world and make those 'good actions' known. But if you actually look at his actions, they're not consistent."
The 50-year-old said when she was a member, she was told off by Scientology head David Miscavige for questioning its decision to use Cruise as its "poster child".
"I learnt pretty quickly that that's not something you should be doing because Tom Cruise is considered a messiah in Scientology," she said.
"This is a man who has not even seen his own daughter in years. That this guy can be running around and having people think he's this super-nice guy, I don't get it."
Remini is one of Scientology's most outspoken critics. In 2013, she made the news when she abruptly left the organisation after being an active member for 34 years. Her mother, actor husband Angelo Pagan and their daughter Sofia also left shortly after.
Her new podcast sees her team up with the documentary's co-host, former Scientology spokesman and senior executive Mike Rinder.
Remini also praised fellow actress Thandie Newton for recently opening up about Cruise's alleged strange behaviour during the filming of Mission: Impossible 2 (2000).
In an interview with entertainment website Vulture, the English actress said working with Cruise was a "nightmare".
Remini said: "I think Newton speaking out about what we all know Tom to be is not news to people who are or were Scientologists, who know the truth. Because he is not a nice person.
"There was a time when Tom was a very nice person, but that was before he rededicated himself to David Miscavige in the 2000s." – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
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