The reverberations from Leah Remini’s Scientology exit continue: last week Oscar winning “Crash” writer-director Paul Haggis posted an open letter to Remini giving her support as a fellow escapee. Scientology then attacked Haggis in their own statement. This newest scandal comes just 13 months after Katie Holmes bolted from Scientology and her marriage to grand poobah Tom Cruise. It’s also just a couple of months since erstwhile members Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith had to shut down their Scientology-oriented private school in Calabasas, California.

Haggis’s letter, I’ve been told, may have come at a price. He’s busy finishing up his new movie, called “Third Person,” which I wrote about before Cannes. Haggis, I heard was warned by friends and advisers not to comment on Remini’s situation because it could affect getting a distributor for “Third Person” when it debuts in Toronto next month. I asked Haggis about this in an email this weekend. He responded: “It was wise advice. I’ve just never been good at taking wise advice.” 

Remini’s escape from Scientology involved taking all of her family with her lest they be permanently separated– what Scientology calls being “disconnected.” The cult responded in their statement against Haggis that no such things exists. We know that’s not true. In fact, one reason Haggis and his ex wife Deborah Rennard left the group was because they’d been “disconnected” from Rennard’s parents– who’d left a year before they did.

The Scientology screed against Haggis by the way is funny. They say Haggis “has aligned himself with a small posse of lunatics”– I mean, really, this is the pot calling the kettle black. They also try to paint Haggis as self-promoting. But he didn’t even mention his new film in the open letter. I will tell you again that it’s called “Third Person,” stars Liam Neeson and an all star cast including Mila Kunis, and I hope it gets a great distributor because it deserves one.

I heard over the weekend that 1988 was 25 years ago. This is a shock. Also, in East Hampton, Jeff Salaway and his wife Toni Ross, daughter of Warner Communications founder Steve Ross, opened a restaurant. They called it Nick & Toni’s. Ever since then the A list has clamored to get a reservation. It’s never stopped. On Saturday night Nick & Toni’s celebrated its quarter century without any fanfare except the celebs were there, trust me.

Howard Stern and wife Beth were eating on the patio. Then “Goodfellas” author Nick Pileggi came in with his family including stepson Jacob Bernstein. George Stephanopolous, sporting heavy black glasses, arrived with his very funny wife Alexandra Wentworth. (Why isn’t she joining “The View” permanently, I wondered. She’s perfect.) They were joined very quickly by two couples: Jon and Dorothea Bon Jovi, and Ronald Perelman and his wife Anna. I also ran into Marc Glimcher of the famed Pace Gallery wining and dining not one but two –unframed– beauties! He just had Jay Z in to perform his “Picasso” song– and it’s on YouTube.

There may have been others but proprietors Mark Smith and Bonnie Munshin were literally running around, trying to find everyone seats, and showing off the spectacular renovations from over the winter. We had a drink to Jeff, who died tragically at the end of the summer of 2001, much too young, in a car accident. He’d be so proud to see his vision has lasted and lasted.I still remember Jeff in the early days, when the place was so packed. He’d get up on a chair, cock a menu over his eyes to block out the lights, and survey the room for empty seats. Somehow he always found an extra table when Steven Spielberg or Billy Joel came in!

And by the way, the food cannot be beat–it’s the absolutely best meal anywhere. This week the menu has some old standards from various menus of the past, including a sensational squab. Many of the dishes are also served at Nick & Toni’s on West 67th St. in Manhattan–the go to place after the movies at AMC Lincoln Square. Mazel tov!

Exclusive: I am just recovering from a set visit on Wednesday to Peter Bogdanovich’s “Squirrels to the Nuts.” This is a comedy being filmed by Peter in New York, a lot in my neighborhood, and some on my street. On Wednesday I visited producers Holly Wiersma and Logan Levy waaaaay uptown in Washington Heights at the magnificent United Palace Theater. Built in 1930, the Palace was once a vaudeville and movie theater. Its ornate and complex interior is sort of Turkish-Moroccan with dashes of Greek, Egyptian and Pluto.

But the seats are red velvet, and there’s a regular stage, so Owen Wilson’s fictional theatre director was premiering his “Broadway play” called “A Grecian Evening.” There’s even a fake Playbill. In the film, Aniston, Will Forte, and Cybill Shepherd and Richard Lewis are all supposed to be in the audience, applauding wildly. Somehow, my own mom, a theater critic, as well as Will Forte’s mom, plus yours truly and my brother all wound up as unpaid extras. It was a little surreal and a lot of fun.

Bogdanovich has not made a feature film since 2001’s “The Cat’s Meow.” He’s dabbled in TV, acted and taught film. He’s published a few books. But think of this resume: “The Last Picture Show,” “Paper Moon,” “Daisy Miller,” “What’s Up Doc?” “At Long Last Love,” and “Mask” are his standouts. Plus he was involved with Cybill Shepherd and with infamously murdered Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten. He was also married Stratten’s sister, Louise, for 13 years. They  remain close friends. Stratten co-wrote the “Squirrels” script and was also on set Wednesday.

Now here’s Peter, 74, with his daughter and grandson in tow, Shepherd in the film, Stratten at his side, and it’s all good. It’s like a happy ending. And he’s telling my mom and Mrs. Forte where to sit.  We talk about the late Eileen Brennan, who has just passed away. “I had her in four films,” Peter says, shaking his head. “I gave her her first movie role in Picture Show. She was wonderful.”

And we’re all waiting for Jennifer Aniston.

She arrives: she is not pregnant, as someone suggested tonight on line. She looks amazing in a silky, slinky black dress and Shirley Temple curls. I’ve met her a couple of times before, but never at work. She’s a total pro. It’s her last day on the shoot and everyone is congratulating her. But Aniston is charming to all the extras, chats with everyone, and gets the remaining job done. She has excellent comic timing, which Bogdanovich appreciates. She chats with the moms, and then says goodbye.

Later Owen Wilson comes in, He’s also friendly, if a little bit more shy. Cybill Shepherd is great. In the scene she wears a leopard print moo-moo. She says afterwards that Memphis is still her favorite town. She and Richard Lewis have good cranky chemistry as an old married couple. When I tell her Bruce Willis was just in town, she says, “I’m sorry I missed him.” I think she means it.

“Squirrels” won’t wrap for another couple of weeks. There’s still lots to film with Kathryn Hahn, Imogen Poots and Rhys Ifans, who figure prominently in the story. The movie has lots of little cameos, too. Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter plays a chauffeur. Stephen Dorff appears as himself. Someone says the producers wanted Jack Huston, but “Boardwalk Empire” wouldn’t let him out for a day. When it’s finished, “Squirrels” will look for a distributor, maybe at Sundance, or Tribeca, or even Cannes.

Joy Behar gets a one hour exit special from “The View” on August 9th, next Friday. It was taped yesterday. Mario Cantone hosts. Tony Bennett sings. Alan Alda and Joan Rivers are among the guests. I love Joy and think she deserves this. But it’s funny considering three weeks ago Elisabeth Hasselbeck came in, gave notice and left the same day. I wrote about it: here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?

Hasselbeck did not return for Behar’s special. I don’t think her name has ever been uttered again since her abrupt departure. She did not get a special. I’m not sure she got cab fare. Behar’s sixteen season run is unprecedented. She outlasted Meredith Vieira (who did come by), Rosie O’Donnell, that blonde girl from MTV who was on in the beginning, and cadres of guest hosts.

Joy is witty, smart, literate, funny, fast. I hope she gets another show at CNN or HLN. She was the bright spot on the HLN roster during her run there with a nighttime show.

Jenny McCarthy arrives in the fall, added to Whoopi and Sherri. One more yakker will be added, too. And as Barbara Walters glides into retirement, Whoopi Goldberg becomes the senior sage. She will keep McCarthy in line if the former MTV host starts squawking about autism and inoculations.

I told you back in June 2012 that James Cameron would make three “Avatar” sequels, turning the whole thing into a four parter. Someone announced it today. But readers of this column knew about it 14 months ago. http://www.showbiz411.com/2012/06/26/james-cameron-will-film-three-avatar-sequels-at-the-same-time. I told you he’d shoot them at the same time. This is why Sigourney Weaver couldn’t do more “Political Animals.” And it’s why she’s left “Vanya and Sonia…” on Broadway early, ceding her role to Julie White. The time has come to make the films. So just in case you read this all now as “exclusives” you can say, Hah! I knew about it a long time ago.

Lea Michele has gone back to work on “Glee.” Life goes on, doesn’t it? She’s Tweeted about it, too. Cory Monteith died three weeks ago. It seems like an eternity. By the Tweets, it does seem like her character, Rachel, will in the first two episodes.

Spending the day surrounded by great friends.. Hope you all are having a good day.. Sending lots of love to you all..

— Lea Michele (@msleamichele) July 31, 2013

First day of glee today..And at my first wardrobe fitting for Rachel Berry for Season Five! I’ve missed her so much❤

— Lea Michele (@msleamichele) August 1, 2013