Leah Remini Explains Why She Made Her Scientology Series

— -- Leah Remini is taking on the Church of Scientology in a new series, "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath," which premiered on A&E on Tuesday night.

The actress, who was a longtime member of the church until 2013, said in a Reddit Ask Me Anything interview that she hopes to give viewers insight into what she says the organization is really like.

When asked what she hopes to accomplish with the series, the actress, who last year published a memoir entitled "Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology," wrote, "Greater awareness."

"Exposing the truths," she continued. "Not letting [them] to continue to let them bully people into silence and submission."

Remini, 46, first spoke out about her experiences with Scientology last fall, about two years after she and her family left. Earlier in 2015, however, HBO released a documentary about the church, entitled, "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief," which the former "King of Queens" star said in her AMA interview was "very accurate." She also credited the documentary with giving her the courage to speak about her experiences.

"I think they did an amazing job and they cleared the path for people like me to speak about it," Remini said. "HBO was very brave in taking it on. As is A&E, as it will be the first network is do a full series about it."

The Church of Scientology has slammed Remini in the past, and on Saturday, took aim at the series. In a statement posted to the church's official website, a Scientology representative blasted Remini's show, calling it "nothing more than a scripted, rehearsed, acted and dramatized work of fiction."

"She and other anti-Scientologists in her program have been expelled from the Church for unethical conduct," the statement continued. "Leah Remini has disparaged and exploited her former faith through a series of failed publicity stunts, culminating in her 'reality' television show—featuring a cast of admitted liars who have, for a profit, been telling differing versions of the same false tales of abuse for years, many reviewed and discredited in courts of law. That A&E would promote their agenda smacks of bigotry."