MEDIA WATCH | CRITICS CHOICE REALTV AWARDS

The Critics Choice “Impact” Award Scam

We know Leah Remini’s “Impact” award was determined by an executive committee composed of members of both the BTJA and NPAC. Eli Holzman, the Executive Producer of Leah Remini’s reality television series, sits on the Executive Committee of NPAC. In other words, the whole thing is orchestrated.

June 2, 2019

Joey Berlin
Executive Producer, Critics Choice RealTV Awards

Ed Martin
President, Broadcast Television Journalists Association

Mr. Berlin and Mr. Martin:

I read in a May 29 article in The Hollywood Reporter that you have chosen to give Leah Remini an “Impact” award for her Aftermath series on A&E. That you choose to honor someone who makes a living generating hate and violence toward individuals solely because of their religious faith—and broadcast it on VH1—is mind boggling.

If you are going to present her an award for “impact” you should consider the actual impact of Leah Remini’s show and the real “aftermath” it has left behind:

On January 3, 2019, during Season 3 of the TV series that you plan to honor with this award—a man fatally stabbed a staff member of our Australasian headquarters in Sydney. Previously the assailant had stated his intent to burn down the Church. The attacker was inspired by an anti-Scientology website that included prominent links to Remini’s show and her co-star’s website.
This murder came after A&E was repeatedly warned that such an act was inevitable, citing more than 600 threats of violence and actual acts of violence against the Church leader, clergy and parishioners linked directly to the hate Remini preaches and her show.
A woman who told police she was inspired by Leah Remini drove a car through the front doors of the Church of Scientology of Austin, Texas, stopping just short of the nursery where children had been playing a short time earlier. The woman called Remini “a true inspiration!!” and when informed that no one was hurt, her response was “That's too bad.” (She was prosecuted and found guilty of felony criminal mischief at a place of worship.)
A man with an arsenal of guns was jailed for threatening to “assassinate” our Church leader. When questioned by authorities, the man said one of the inspirations for his threats was “the King of Queens lady.” [Leah Remini] (He was jailed for multiple felonies.)
A man smashed the front window of the Church of Scientology U.S. headquarters and threatened to kill the leader of our religion. He was arrested, placed under mandatory mental health supervision, and convicted of felonies for the vandalism and the threat. Yet, Leah Remini put this criminal on her show after his conviction and gave him a platform to spread his hate. That same man was again arrested by the San Diego Police Department on February 9, 2019 when he violated a court order to stay away from our parishioners and has been in police custody ever since.
As part of her obsessive hate campaign against the Church of Scientology Remini and her co-star publicly attacked four women who have accused director Paul Haggis of sexual assault, making false and reckless claims publicly against these victims. This prompted one of the victims to write an op-ed in The Hollywood Reporter in which she stated that Remini should be ashamed of herself for drawing them into her hate campaign. Naturally, Remini has yet to apologize.
Remini doesn’t stop with Scientologists in generating hate against people for their religious beliefs. She also stirs up hatred against Muslims and Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The decision is yours, of course. But please be aware that should you ignore the above information, you will be honoring someone who spreads hate that has led to violence and death.

Sincerely,

Edward Parkin
International Director