Curious World Staff
Mike Rinder, co-host of the Emmy-winning A&E series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, passed away on Sunday at the age of 69. His wife, Christie Collbran, shared the news on Instagram, posting a heartfelt tribute alongside a family photo with their son Jack and Collbran’s son, Shane.
“Rest in peace, my sweet, beautiful husband,” Collbran concluded. “Your daring, bravery, and honesty will always inspire us. You enriched our lives with courage, wisdom, love, and laughter. “My best friend, hero, and love, Michael John Rinder.”
Collbran also shared Rinder’s final wishes, including a farewell blog post titled Farewell on his website. In it, Rinder reflected on his life, calling his second chapter “the most wonderful years anyone could wish for.” He expressed regret over not fully achieving his goal of ending Scientology’s abuses, particularly disconnection, and encouraged others to continue the fight.
“My only real regret is not seeing Jack into adulthood,” he wrote. “Let the flowers grow and look to the future … I rest in peace.”
Rinder was diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer in June 2023 and said in October that his therapy was working, but no cause of death was given.
A former member of the Church of Scientology from the age of five, Rinder left the organization in 2007. He went on to co-host Scientology and the Aftermath with Leah Remini, write the memoir A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology, and co-host a podcast.
Remini expressed her sympathies on Instagram, applauding Rinder’s wife and sons’ courage. “Mike has been courageously battling cancer, and your messages of love truly lifted his spirits,” she said.
Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath debuted in 2016, earning critical acclaim and a Creative Arts Emmy in 2020.
