Leah Remini has shared an emotional and heartfelt tribute to her “closest confidant” Mike Rinder, following his death over the weekend.
“On Sunday, we lost a giant, and I lost a man who was more than a friend – he was family,” she wrote about her friend and co-worker, who had joined her on a multi-year, multi-platform endeavour to expose alleged abuses by the Church of Scientology.
“It’s impossible to imagine the last 13 years of my life without Mike Rinder,” Remini said. “When I left Scientology, Mike was one of the first people I turned to.”
“Together, we embarked on an incredible journey that included The Aftermath and our podcast, Fair Game,” Remini continued. “But Mike was so much more than my partner in this fight – he was my brother, my father, and my best friend.”
Rinder and Remini teamed up after both leaving Scientology, collaborating on the A&E docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath and the podcast Fair Game.
“Mike saved my life and the life of my daughter and he stood by me through battles that felt insurmountable,” she wrote.
Leah Remini and Mike Rinder in a teaser for Season 2 of ‘Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.’.
A&E
“I haven’t come to terms with the reality that I can’t call him and hear his voice anymore. I am shattered in ways I never thought possible. I have cried endlessly and can’t seem to move from my bed since coming home.”
Rinder’s wife, Christie Collbran, announced his death on Sunday, Jan. 5, via Instagram. Rinder was 69, and while his cause of death has not been confirmed, he had been diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer in 2023.
Before Rinder left the Church of Scientology in 2007 and became one of the loudest whistleblowers, pulling back the curtain on its inner workings, he served in various executive roles within the church, including the international spokesperson, head of the Office of Special Affairs and a member of the board of directors of the Church of Scientology International.
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After leaving Scientology behind at the age of 52, he became a critic of the organization.
After Rinder released his memoir, A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology, in 2022, the Church of Scientology hit back, denying all the allegations he’s made over the years.
Remini previously shared that she was able to spend some time with Rinder and his family over the Christmas holidays.
“Spreading a little holiday cheer in Florida with my @rindermike and his beautiful family,” she captioned a photo of her and Rinder embracing in his bed. “As many of you know, Mike has been courageously battling cancer, and your messages of love truly lift his spirits. Please keep Mike, Christie, and their two boys in your prayers. Surround them with all the love and strength they so deserve.”
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