Tom Cruise caused people to leave Church of Scientology, says Leah Remini in explosive interview

Former Scientologist Leah Remini has made some sensational revelations in an interview ahead of her eight-part A&E series Scientology And The Aftermath. And if the words of the actress-turned-investigative reporter are any indication, Hollywood heartthrob Tom Cruise's involvement with the Scientology might have negatively impacted the church.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Remini slammed Scientology and their "messiah" Cruise for pressurising her to quash a 60 Minutes report on the church, to be aired on CBS.

"I got pressure to call [CEO] Les Moonves at CBS to try and get a 60 Minutes report squashed. I got a call from the church and Tom to call Les Moonves and use my influence to squash the story," the author of Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology revealed.

Remini, who stopped being a part of the church in 2013, claimed that she was asked by the Mission Impossible actor and the church to use her influence – she was starring in CBS's hit series King Of Queens at the time – on the network. Unfortunately her call did not work on CBS's CEO, as the actress recalled Moonves blatantly turning down her request.

"He said, 'I don't give a s**t if it's you, if it's Tom Cruise, if it's Jenna Elfman, you're all going to get the same story from me.' And I said, 'OK.' And then I called them back and said, 'Hey, I tried'," she recalled.

In the tell all interview, the Dancing With The Stars alumna continued to voice her opinion on Cruise's involvement with The Church Of Scientology, and according to her, the 54-year-old actor has caused people to leave the church.

"I don't think he normalized it at all. I think it's just the opposite. I think there was a time where maybe Scientology was more accepted and I didn't particularly find him to be a great example of Scientology — of which I made that very known to my church," she said, remembering how Scientology leader David Miscavige once cited the Top Gun actor as "the best example of a Scientologist" during an event.

Meanwhile, the church has continuously defended its stand in the past and have refuted Remini's allegations calling it a "publicity" stunt.

"Desperate for attention with an acting career stuck in a nearly decade-long tailspin, Leah Remini needs to move on with her life. Instead, she seeks publicity by maliciously spreading lies about the Church using the same handful of bitter zealots who were kicked out years ago for chronic dishonesty and corruption and whose false claims the Church refuted years ago, including through judicial decisions," it said in a statement earlier.

The A&E series premiered on Tuesday night, where ex-Scientologists made glaring revelations including that of physical abuse and statutory rape to Remini, as per reports.

IBTimes UK has reached out to the actor and the Church of Scientology for comment and is awaiting a response.