*Just days after A&E scrapped its KKK docuseries, the Church of Scientology wants to know why the network hasn’t cancelled Leah Remini’s anti-Scientology docuseries for the same reason.
As previously reported, A&E canceled the Klan series last Saturday after learning that producers on the show had paid some participants on the project. The network stated that cash payments were a “direct violation of A&E’s policies and practices for a documentary.” The show never made it on the air.
On Wednesday, a lawyer for the Church of Scientology, Gary Soter, called A&E “hypocrites” for canceling the Klan series, while continuing to air “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath,” which he claims has paid participants as well.
In a letter first obtained by TMZ, Soter states: “Church of Scientology understands that two on-air accusers/participants in Leah Remini’s docuseries, ‘Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath,’ received substantial cash payments for their participation, in violation of the same standards.”
The letter continues, “It is hypocritical for A&E to proclaim its intent to ‘expose and combat racism and hatred in all its forms’ in cancelling the KKK show and at the same time promote Leah Remini’s program which promotes hatred that A&E claims that it wants to stop.”
Below, more details via Variety:
A&E declined to comment on whether participants in “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath” were paid — other than Remini, who is an executive producer on the docuseries — but an insider close to the network tells Variety that even if participants were paid, financial payments would be common practice for participants in a television docuseries.
The source says that the network “explicitly” and “strictly” told producers of the KKK docuseries that no members of the hate group were to be paid, so when they discovered that payments were issued, they canceled the show.
“We’re talking about payments made to hate group members versus payment to Leah, the EP of the show,” a person familiar with the situation told Variety.
“It’s a different animal,” the insider said, comparing the KKK show to the Scientology series. “It’s apples and oranges.”
The cancellation of the KKK docuseries came after a substantial about of negative Twitter chatter, regarding the controversial docuseries, which was formerly titled “Generation KKK” and then changed to “Escaping the KKK: A Documentary Series Exposing Hate in America,” just one day before it was ultimately yanked off A&E’s schedule. Meanwhile, Remini’s series has been bringing in monster ratings and critical praise for A&E.
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