Alison LeBaron knew Leah Remini through her mother’s former friendship with Leah’s mother, and through Leah’s sister Shannon. She describes how Leah tried to control others around her, and tried to prevent Alison’s mother from getting the help she wanted from her Church.
I know Leah Remini because she is, her mom is friends with my mom and has been for a long time.
Over the course of many years that I had been friends with Shannon or the few times that I’d been to Leah’s house or Shannon’s house and Leah had been there, I noticed that everything—it seemed like it was the Leah show, that everything was to be done the way that she wanted it. And I remember Shannon telling me one time that Vickie wanted a certain car for her birthday and Leah bought her a different car. That Shannon’s house, I remember Shannon was buying a house and Leah was helping her and Leah decorated it the way that Leah wanted it. And I just got from those separate instances that Leah ran that entire family and everybody did what she wanted.
I was invited, myself and my two young children, to Leah’s daughter’s birthday party. It was a huge, lavish affair and I was stressed out about preparing a present. What do you get a child of, you know, a wealthy person. So, I created this personalized present. I went to a couple different stores getting things to fill it and make it look really pretty and I put a lot of thought and effort into it. And we arrived at the party and there were a lot of activities going on and I noticed that Leah was off in one corner of the party on a raised area that—I don’t know if it had security guards around it, but it kind of had pedestals and plants and such that you didn’t feel that that was an area you should go. It was raised and in a corner and offset. And she was there throughout almost the entire party and I felt a little bit uncomfortable because I wanted to go and thank her for inviting us or greet her, but I felt that I shouldn’t trespass in this area. And Shannon, my once good friend from high school, was there too and it just made me feel uncomfortable and kind of like I didn’t belong there. And then after the party the only response I got was that we didn’t spell Sofia’s name correctly and I just felt kind of devastated because I had wanted to make a good impression and whatnot, and after that I felt like that was all for nothing.
Why would you say that to someone? What would be the purpose of that to others? I can’t go back and rub off the name and fix it. I mean, why would you tell somebody something if they can’t fix it and make it right? Or, why would you belittle a gift that someone had given with their whole heart?
My mom was getting spiritual counseling at our church and she was in a rough place in her life and was really going to seek help. And during that time Leah was trying to prevent my mom from doing that.
What I witnessed was my mom deteriorating, because she so wanted to get help and just wanted to go and get spiritual counseling and have a close connection with the people at her church and at every turn Leah and Vickie were trying to prevent her from doing that.
