The star was rendered a "suppressive person" when she left the faith and spoke out about how church leaders had torn families apart when people like her had opted to turn their backs on Scientology.

And she admits she's still suffering for making public comments several years ago.

Remini tells U.S. news show Access Hollywood Live, "You can leave (the church) but if you make any public statements about your experience... that's when the label comes of a suppressive person...

"My brother-in-law lost connection with his father and his sister... (There are) children we'll never know - my godchildren, my daughter's friends, my mother's friends of 30 or 40 years."

The actress admits she's often reminded of the family and friends she can no longer have any kind of a relationship with - because the Church of Scientology forbids it.

She adds, "It happens in layers - you go through your initial loss and pain but then you go to anger... and then you're looking through your phone one day... or you see somebody walking out a store.

"My goddaughter, who is four now, I saw her at a coffee shop in my neighbourhood... Her mother saw me and I also didn't want to put her in a (awkward) position.

"(My daughter) knows that her aunt can't talk to her and certain friends can't talk to her and she doesn't understand it - she's 11. She doesn't understand how, because you believe in something or don't believe in something, how people can't talk to you - and I don't have an answer."

But she still feels she made the right decision to quit the church and talk about what she disliked about the faith: "There's a lot of people who have left who have been hurt and affected and I can't sit around... I needed to send a message... I didn't want those people to feel alone and I also just wanted to make sure that everybody knew my position."