Leah Remini Says She ‘Had No Idea’ Her Estranged Father Died Last Month: ‘A Funeral Came and Went’

So sad. Leah Remini is mourning the loss of her estranged father, George, whom she “had had no idea” passed away over a month ago. The beloved King of Queens star took to social media on Sunday, September 22, to announce her dad’s death while raising awareness surrounding his involvement in the Church of Scientology.

“We weren’t aware that he had been sick leading up to his death,” the 49-year-old beauty emotionally revealed on Instagram. “A funeral came and went and none of us knew anything about it. We were not able to say goodbye. He was not able to redeem himself, to ask for forgiveness for his failures and hurts, to become a better man to those of us who couldn’t help but love him.”

Leah revealed that not only was she unaware of her father’s ailing health, she also found out about his death through her sister, Nicole. “I received a message from my sister Nicole, who had been contacted by a stranger passing on his condolences for the passing of our father,” Leah explained.

Along with the lengthy caption, Leah shared a series of throwback photos with George from when she was growing up. In the snapshots, Leah and her family appeared happier than ever, smiling with their arms around each other and posing for pics when the actress was just a baby.

The Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology author, however, went on to explain that fans who have read her book, will understand and know that she and George “had a difficult relationship, but I always forgave him with a daughter’s painfully endless love and hope.”

Leah, who has been open and honest regarding her involvement in the Church of Scientology, then reflected the pair’s tumultuous past. “I hoped for him to acknowledge who he had been and what he had done to us as his children,” she explained. “Regardless of his neglect and abuse, I had hoped to one day have some closure.”

Although she ultimately received some sort of closure through an previous apology from her dad, Leah said she “can’t help but grieve” over her late father. “I am angry at myself for crying for someone who didn’t ever cry for me,” she added. The award-winning producer, who left Scientology in 2013 and has since criticized the organization’s beliefs, even blamed the church for George’s passing.

“I’m angry that the last chapter in our relationship was dictated by Scientology. Scientology took my dad in as a pawn against me and likely robbed him of any last ounce of heart that might have been left in him,” Leah continued. “I’m angry that Scientology found his personal weak spots and got him on board not with their beliefs but with their smear campaign against me. That was his last presence in my life. Knowing my father, after taking the offer from Scientology to betray me, he wouldn’t have thought that he could ever come back from that in our relationship. If he thought that, though, he would have been wrong. I would have forgiven him as I always did.”

The Second Act star finished off her post with heartbreaking farewell to her father. “The little girls inside of my sisters and me will never forgive Scientology for taking away our last chance to have the one thing we always wanted from our father,” she concluded. “And that was for him to say ‘I’m sorry and I loved you.'”

Our hearts are with Leah and the Remini family during this difficult time.