Creative Arts Emmys: Leah Remini Dedicates ‘Scientology and the Aftermath’ Win to “Brave” Contributors

Leah Remini was near tears on Saturday as she accepted an Emmy for her A&E series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath — dedicating the award to the “brave contributors who [worked on the series] despite ongoing risk and repercussions.”

“I’m so happy to share this,” she said. “It’s not an easy job, but they were the ones putting their stories out there for everyone to hear. And we are honored to be the vessel to tell these stories. … This belongs to our contributors, the brave ones, who are telling their stories.”

Added Remini, “It’s about doing the right thing. This doesn’t belong to me. it belongs to our contributors.”

Collecting the trophy for outstanding informational series or special, an emotional Remini also thanked many people who supported her and worked on the show. She thanked her mother, Vicki, who “for years, she wished she could be in this audience and see her daughter win an Emmy, and she’s here tonight,” and then, shrugging, she added “and getting us into a cult.”

The series examines Scientology through the experiences of former members of the church, including her own. Explained Remini in The Hollywood Reporter’s recent Reality TV Roundtable: “This is about showing the actual practices dictated by this policy of Scientology that demands for people to be destroyed. That’s what we’re talking about. You can believe in whatever you want to believe in. You want to be a scientologist? That’s great, but don’t deny these are the practices of it that are hurting people.”

The Church of Scientology has challenged the show’s credibility.