Leah Remini has secured a significant but partial appellate victory in her defamation case against the Church of Scientology International and the Religious Technology Center. California’s Second District Court of Appeal, in an unpublished decision issued on 31 July, upheld parts of a lower-court ruling that allowed several of her claims to proceed while reinstating or preserving others. The court found that there was sufficient evidence at this preliminary stage for Remini to pursue allegations that the organisations made false factual claims about her, including statements portraying her as dishonest and alleging that her speech had incited violence. It also held that a social-media repost could amount to a new publication for limitation-period purposes.

The ruling does not decide whether the statements were defamatory or award Remini damages; those matters remain for further proceedings. The appellate court also agreed that some challenged statements were protected opinion, rhetorical hyperbole, or not adequately supported by the evidence, and therefore could not form the basis of viable claims. Remini, an actress and prominent former Scientologist, filed the wider action in 2023, alleging defamation and other misconduct. The decision means the litigation continues in Los Angeles rather than bringing the dispute to a final conclusion. The available court material does not substantiate a separate connection to an intensified California search suggested by the supplied headline.