Yahoo Lifestyle Leah Remini Breaks Silence on Death of Ex-Scientology ‘Partner’
Leah Remini shared her thoughts on the death of her “trusted partner” and “closest confidant” Mike Rinder on Tuesday, after his family shared Sunday that the former Church of Scientology executive passed away from cancer at 65.
Remini and Rinder co-hosted the Emmy-winning A&E docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath as well as the Scientology podcast Fair Game. “When I left Scientology, Mike was one of the first people I turned to,” Remini wrote on X in a post from Tuesday.
On Sunday, we lost a giant, and I lost a man who was more than a friend—he was my family.
It’s impossible to imagine the last 13 years of my life without Mike Rinder. He was my anchor, my trusted partner, and my closest confidant. The thought of moving forward without him feels… pic.twitter.com/VOcy6sWikt— Leah Remini (@LeahRemini) January 7, 2025
“From that moment, he became my lifeline. Together, we embarked on an incredible journey that included The Aftermath and our podcast, Fair Game,” she continued. “But Mike was so much more than my partner in this fight—he was my brother, my father, my best friend…in every way that mattered.”
A senior executive for the Church of Scientology from 1982 to 2007, Rinder was a powerful force in shaping the religion’s public image, often acting as the face of the organization and quashing negative publicity. After he left the organization, he became a whistleblower, writing a book about his time at its highest ranks titled A Billion Years: My Escape from a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology, released in 2022. When Remini left the Church in 2013, she and Rinder joined forces to expose what they called Scientology’s “corruption.”
“In his post-Scientology life, Mike was a man transformed,” Remini continued in her post remembering Rinder. “He worked tirelessly to right the wrongs of his past and beyond. He owed no one anything. Mike was offered a lot of money to stay silent about Scientology’s criminal activities, and he refused and did the work.”
Rinder had two children who Remini writes “disconnected from him due to Scientology’s cruel policies after he courageously escaped its abuse.” He was married to Christie King Collbran upon his death, with whom he shared son Jack and stepson Shane. Remini wrote that Rinder’s last wish was to “encourage support for his son Jack’s college fund.”
“Mike adored Jack, who is just 12 years old. He was consumed with knowing he wouldn’t be there to see Jack grow into adulthood.” Remini ended the post, “My Mikey, I will miss you every day, and I just don’t know how to do it without you.”
