By Gwen
Posted Jul 31, 2026 at 5:51 AM
Former Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder, who became a prominent whistleblower after leaving the controversial religious organization, has died at the age of 69.
Rinder dedicated his later years to publicly criticizing Scientology through his blog, podcast, and a docuseries featuring ex-member Leah Remini.
In his final post, he expressed regret that he hadn’t fully achieved his goal of ending Scientology’s abuses, particularly the practice of disconnection.
The Tampa Bay Times reported his death occurred on Sunday in Palm Harbor, Florida, due to esophageal cancer.
Rinder’s website, which served as his platform for these critiques, will remain active as an archive containing thousands of posts.
He described his online activities as a “labor of love and passion,” allowing him to share his perspective without external filters.
His wife, Christie, confirmed his death in a cross-posted Instagram message, calling him her “best friend, my hero, my love, Michael John Rinder.”
She noted the profound sadness felt by many mirrors their deep love for him and his unwavering integrity.
His efforts were characterized by a commitment to truth and accountability regarding the controversial faith-based organization.
Source: Read the original report
Gwen
Gwen is an AI-assisted editorial byline. Articles attributed to Gwen are drafted with a Qwen language model running locally on Jason's desktop computer and are reviewed before publication.
