#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An eye-opening, no-holds-barred memoir about life in the Church of Scientology, now with a new afterword by the author—the outspoken actress and star of the A&E docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath Leah Remini has never been the type to hold her tongue. That willingness to speak her mind, stand her ground, and rattle the occasional cage has … and rattle the occasional cage has enabled this tough-talking girl from Brooklyn to forge an enduring and successful career in Hollywood. But being a troublemaker has come at a cost.
That was never more evident than in 2013, when Remini loudly and publicly broke with the Church of Scientology. Now, in this frank, funny, poignant memoir, the former King of Queens star opens up about that experience for the first time, revealing the in-depth details of her painful split with the church and its controversial practices.
Indoctrinated into the church as a child while living with her mother and sister in New York, Remini eventually moved to Los Angeles, where her dreams of becoming an actress and advancing Scientology’s causes grew increasingly intertwined. As an adult, she found the success she’d worked so hard for, and with it a prominent place in the hierarchy of celebrity Scientologists alongside people such as Tom Cruise, Scientology’s most high-profile adherent. Remini spent time directly with Cruise and was included among the guests at his 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes.
But when she began to raise questions about some of the church’s actions, she found herself a target. In the end, she was declared by the church to be a threat to their organization and therefore a “Suppressive Person,” and as a result, all of her fellow parishioners—including members of her own family—were told to disconnect from her. Forever.
Bold, brash, and bravely confessional, Troublemaker chronicles Leah Remini’s remarkable journey toward emotional and spiritual freedom, both for herself and for her family. This is a memoir designed to reveal the hard-won truths of a life lived honestly—from an author unafraid of the consequences.
Praise for Troublemaker
“An aggressively honest memoir . . . Troublemaker is the most raw and revealing Scientology memoir to date.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Leah’s story is a juicy, inside-Hollywood read, but it’s more than that. It’s a moving story about the value of questioning authority and how one woman survived a profound crisis of faith.”—People
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I really liked Leah’s style of writing. She is very down to earth and this book tells you so much about scientology! Amazing that this goes on!
An insiders look at a wacky religion.
This was a good read about someone in Scientology. Not much depth but entertaining.
Troublemaker was a really interesting recounting of Leah’s experiences with Scientology.
I really enjoyed listening to this book. I had both the ebook and audiobook, but I loved hearing the story through Leah’s own voice and ended up listening to the whole thing on audio.
“There is no “right” way to be. I am flawed and imperfect, but am uniquely me.”
-4.5 Stars!-
Good insight into the workings of the Scientology cult.
Good read but hard for me to understand why she spent so much time giving allegiance to people who treated her and her family so badly. I hope this book stirs people away from this weird religion.
A real eye opener to the subculture of Scientology. Eerily frightening.
Saw the TV series; read the book. I applaud her strength and commitment, in and out of the cult!
I expected this story to be about the horrors of Scientology, but I didn’t expect it to be funny. Rimini is brave, funny, stubborn, and outspoken. I would love to have her as a friend after reading this. Not only is the book informative, it is entertaining.
It is so sad that people waste their lives on a falsehood and I hope that Leah wakes people up. I am glad that she woke up to what was really going on so as to help others
I learned so much about Hollywood and Scientology. I realize it’s biased, but I suspect the facts she gave were true. I wanted to say to her, “Leah, of course you’ve said some things you shouldn’t have, but how can a witty person like you avoid it? I’m glad she gathered the strength to break away from Scientology. I am surprised you stuck with its outrageous requests for so long.
Leah Ramini gives an honest account of the things that go on in Scientology. People going into debt so deep they’ll never get out and beatings and abuse happening that is kept quiet. A woman that’s been missing for many years now and no one knows what happened to her. A fascinating read.
Appreciated the insider experience, but found the author too self-absorbed and a wee bit lacking in depth of writing.
Totally amazing to learn how Scientology really works. Congratulations on Leah’s decision to leave.
This was a very eye opening journey into the Scientology world. I think I probably felt like others not a part of that cult – how could she stay so long- but I guess it was all she knew. I am just so glad for her that she made it out, though at a very big emotional cost. At times it was exhausting just reading about their crazy demanding schedule. I can’t begin to imagine living it for real. Very bizarre, just as I thought.
It was a very interesing book. Remini gives lots of information on the workings of the Church of Scientology which is actually more like a cult.
I always wanted to know about Scienctology and she gives a personal clear perspective and she’s funny.
I did not read this book because I recognize the actress/author, but to find our more about this religious cult. It was illuminating in this regard.
A real eye opener. Good to educate yourself on what goes on in these types of cult-like religions.
Leah, in her unmistakable snarky voice, recalls her childhood growing up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, NY- money troubles, school, and social lives typical of kids in the area. Her life changes when her parents divorce and her mother remarried a man both Leah and her sister genuinely took to- a man deeply involved in the Church of Scientology. That began her multi-decade life within the church, learning secrets, witnessing peculiarities, and spending millions. This is a story that’s laugh out loud funny at some parts while at others, your jaw is on the floor in shock. An absolute must-read for any Christian, anyone down on their luck, or anyone who just loved her as Stacey Carosi on Saved by the Bell, Carrie on The King of Queens, or her myriad other roles!