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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Mike Rinder, the former Church of Scientology spokesman who later became a prominent critic and co-host of A&E’s documentary series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, died on January 5, 2025, at age 69. The Washington Post reported that his wife, Christie Collbran Rinder, said he died of esophageal cancer.
What was Mike Rinder’s cause of death?
The Washington Post reported that Rinder’s wife said esophageal cancer was the cause of his death. Rinder’s final blog post, dated January 5, 2025, is a farewell but does not state a cause. The distinction matters: the cause is reported through his wife’s statement as relayed by the newspaper, not given in his own final post.
In June 2023, Christie Rinder announced on his blog that he had been officially diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer. That earlier announcement provides medical context, but it is not itself a statement confirming the cause of death.
Who was Mike Rinder?
Rinder left the Church of Scientology in 2007. He had served as an official spokesman for the organization; after leaving, he became a prominent critic and spoke publicly about his experiences and the experiences of other former members.
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From 2016, he co-hosted and co-executive-produced A&E’s Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath with Leah Remini. The documentary series explored former members’ accounts and the Church’s responses to the program’s content. A&E’s series page describes the program and includes the network’s account of responses it received from the Church; those competing accounts should be understood as attributed statements, not as adjudicated findings.
What did Rinder say in his final post?
In his January 5, 2025, farewell, Rinder reflected on work he had hoped to accomplish and urged readers to continue opposing abuses he associated with Scientology. He wrote: “My only real regret is not having achieved what I said I wanted to — ending the abuses of Scientology, especially disconnection and seeing Jack into adulthood.”
He also asked readers to direct support toward his family. His final entry is a primary source for his closing message and the date of the post.
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Rinder’s 2022 memoir, A Billion Years: My Escape from a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology, was published by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, on September 27, 2022. The book recounts his life in the organization and his departure.
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The Television Academy’s profile records one Emmy win for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special in 2020, and a 2019 nomination for Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. The Aftermath Foundation, where Rinder served on the board from its inception in December 2017, remembered his public and behind-the-scenes advocacy in its tribute.
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