‘Like a brother to me’: The tributes to Mike Rinder keep coming

The tributes to Mike Rinder have kept coming in. On Monday, we heard from Going Clear director Alex Gibney and co-star Spanky Taylor, and on Tuesday from writer Lawrence Wright. Today, it’s two more Going Clear participants, Tom DeVocht and Hana Whitfield, and more.

Tom DeVocht. Mike Rinder was a dear friend of mine, someone I knew for a long time, and grew incredibly close to through both good times and bad, in and out of the cult. You know our story — how he came to me after leaving the Sea Org — and how I had the honor of standing by him as his best man when he married Christie. That says all you need to know about our time inside the cult together.

Mike was a few years older, so when I arrived in Clearwater as a kid, he was the one who eventually took me under his wing and gave me some guidance. At the “Int Base,” we were played against each other by David Miscavige, who would have me “beat” Mike. Like two professional wrestlers, we acted it out, knowing neither of us would ever hurt the other — we understood who the real enemy was.

Later on, when the kids were kicked out of the “ranch,” and I was stationed in Clearwater, Mike asked me to be his son’s guardian. There are so many stories that it’s hard to think of any particular one that feels apropos at the moment.

Life pulled us in different directions. I have been in Seattle, raising my child on my own and juggling work, while Mike took the honorable path of continuing his courageous fight against Scientology. Because of this, we didn’t get as much time together in recent years as either of us would have liked. But he met my daughter, Ellie, who adored him, Christie, and Jack. Despite the distance, we stayed in touch enough to never feel truly disconnected (for lack of a better term). Months could pass, but a single five-minute call would catch us up, and we’d be back on the same page — tighter than most friends, regardless.

Mike was like a brother to me, and I know he felt the same way about me. But it was more than that — there was a deep respect and admiration between us that’s hard to put into words. I imagine he’d have found it just as difficult to explain, though he was far better with words than I ever could be.

The last 48 hours of Mike's life were no doubt heavy. I personally experienced two sleepless nights — something that’s unusual for me — and my mind was flooded with thoughts of the past and hopes for the future. Only when I learned of Mike’s passing, my sleeplessness and wandering mind suddenly made sense.

When I think of Mike, the word that comes to mind is love. Love for his family, his friends, and the people he dedicated his life to helping. I hope and am pretty sure that wherever he is now, he’s raising hell and having a damn good time doing it!

Mike, you’ll be deeply missed, buddy.

Hana Whitfield. Mike’s passing has left a vast emptiness in my life. As an RN, I knew for some time that Mike was very ill, and the last online picture foretold the inevitable event. And yet, I’m having difficulty grasping that he is no longer with us.

I first met Mike way back on the Apollo after Hubbard abandoned his Captain/Commodore position and ran away to hide in Queens, New York for a year. Before he left the ship, Hubbard assigned me to head up AVU (the Authorization/Verification Unit), which was responsible for ensuring that all management orders that left the Apollo to go to Scientology and Sea Org organizations around the world were entirely in accord with existing Hubbard policy.

He charged the AVU staff — Suzette Hubbard, Marion Witcher, Sue Pomeroy, Hugh Harrison, Judi Light, and Kiki Swift — and myself with that duty.

At that time, Kerry Gleeson was the head of the Flag Bureaux (FB), the management organization that managed all Scientology and Sea Org organizations worldwide. Kerry’s job was to ensure the outer orgs kept their weekly production statistics rising, no matter what else was going on.

That’s when I met Mike Rider. A new kid on board, Mike became Kerry’s Messenger. Mike was sweet-faced, friendly, and had smiles for everyone. One of Mike’s jobs was to bring us all the FB orders to outer orgs that day to verify them as complying with Hubbard’s policies before they could leave the ship. The orders came in various forms, including evaluations, programs, projects, telex orders, and issues. It didn’t take Mike long to learn that bringing AVU a ten- to twelve-inch stack of telex orders fifteen minutes before the last mail run ashore in the evening wasn’t a good idea. AVU had to verify that every telex complied with existing Scientology policy. I remember how Sue Pomeroy and Suzette Hubbard took the lead, sometimes glaring at Mike when he appeared at such a late hour with his arms loaded and other times yelling at him.

Ever resourceful, Mike would peep into AVU. As we were all busy at our desks verifying evaluations and programs in front of us, we often did not hear or see him. Mike would sneak into AVU, drop the new entries on the table, and immediately dive out of AVU to the safety of the tween-deck area!

I liked Mike and sought him out to chat a few times. I suggested that he not take the frowns and yells personally, that Hubbard demanded SO members defend their positions and duties, and that sometimes it resorted to frowns and shouting. I told Mike that if he ever needed to scream, he could go down into one of the vast cattleholds at the bottom of the ship, where he could scream his heart out as long as he wanted. I said I’d done it in October 1967 in Southampton after Hubbard bought the Apollo; Sea Org life at that time was chaotic. The ship was largely empty then, and my screams resounded. Those experiences were hugely therapeutic. Mike looked at me with huge eyes and beamed. “Great idea. Thank you, Sir!” And he saluted.

After he left Scientology, Mike spoke to Jerry and me about wanting to help get more Scientologists out of the cult. However, Jerry was in the early stages of his terminal illness and could no longer participate in his usual way by launching into action and taking on the impossible, whether one OSA PI or an entire army of PIs was following us!

Instead, Mike asked us how we started doing interventions, how we approached Scientologists, and what made our protocol so workable. We told Mike how the original Cult Awareness Network (CAN) had given us extraordinary assistance in shedding Scientology’s destructive indoctrination and giving us the time, space, and the truth, to find ourselves. In 1989, when the head of the CAN Los Angeles Branch asked us to help the hundreds of families clamoring for assistance to get their Scientology loved ones home, we saw it as the way to pay that life-saving help forward. And it became our mission.

Because the members of CAN always approached Jerry and me with genuine respect, friendliness, and interest, and because they were willing to answer our many questions and listen to our stories and experiences, they helped us through the difficult and confusing transition between abused, introverted cult member and a free human being. Jerry and I recognized the immense power in treating people that way. And we tapped into it, tailored it to the needs of specific families, and used it in our intervention work. We became sincerely interested in and willing to listen to a Scientologist’s experiences in the cult, why they joined the Scientology cult, and how it helped them. Because clearly, it had. That approach was key to preventing triggering the supercharged, bitter attitude Scientologists had, and still have, towards outsiders and those who have left their church and are considered to be suppressive persons.

Jerry and I also shared a special family moment with Mike one Christmas. Despite other friends wanting Mike’s attention, he pulled us through the boisterous crowd in his living room and out to the trampoline in the backyard. He took time to introduce us to his sons and even mentioned the work we did. Mike’s respect for us deeply touched me, as did his deep love and pride in his beautiful sons! We all talked and chatted, though I could see both his youngsters were more interested in demonstrating their bouncing skills.

I love you, Mike, like a beloved brother. I always have. And if Jerry were here, he would reach out, give you a bear hug, and say, “Well done, Mike, brother in arms! You fought the good fight and won!”

Mike, thank you for giving yourself to so many, for so long, and in so many ways. Thank you for not giving up. Thank you for your constant humility, kindness, respect, and sweetness. Thank you for the light you shone into so many people’s lives when they could not see how to do so themselves. And thank you for constantly trying to do more.

Always in my heart and mind.

Bruce Hines. I first met Mike in 1987 in New York City. He was overseeing the successful handling of a potentially explosive PR situation. He made an immediate impression on me — he was intelligent, calm, certain, definite, rational, focused, and didn’t seem to waste energy. Later that year and for many years thereafter I was able to observe him in various high-level positions in the international management of Scientology. In my experience he always exhibited those same qualities.

I feel extremely fortunate to have had considerable interaction with him after we both got out of the cult. Over the past quarter century or so, the “church” has undergone significant contraction, become reviled by much of the general public, and its reprehensible practices are now known to many. A lot of people have made contributions towards this devolution. But I believe no individual has had a greater effect than Mike. He has been tireless, persistent, and effective, despite threats and attacks.

I have been grief-stricken since learning of his passing. I’ll continue to miss him beyond words. What will live on are the example he set and inspiration to carry on in his footsteps.

Mark Bunker. When I first started trying to help people abused by Scientology, Mike Rinder was in the unenviable position of defending Scientology in the media. Now that’s a Herculean task, and thankfully he followed Hubbard's policies and Miscavige's berating and usually made things worse. My first impression of him as the head of the Office of Special Affairs came from appearances he made trying to downplay the death of Lisa McPherson. A smirk and a wink is what I remember.

Moving to Clearwater in 2000 to work for the Lisa McPherson Trust, I saw first-hand the global assault against Bob Minton being waged by OSA, and I pinned all the blame on Mike. Bob had spent millions trying to get justice not just for Lisa but for others victimized by Scientology as well. I thought Mike had to be evil. The president of the LMT, Stacy Brooks told me, “Actually, I know Mike and he's a really nice guy.” That made me look deeper into how Scientology operates, to understand how good people could be reprogrammed to protect Scientology at all costs. It’s a key moment that shaped everything I’ve done since.

By the end of 2001, Bob Minton threw in the towel. Scientology had managed to get his assets frozen and he and Stacy attempted to reach a settlement with Scientology. It was such a difficult decision for Bob that he actually threw up in the bushes outside Scientology’s law office. It was Mike Rinder who helped Bob negotiate his way out of the attacks, easing some of the worst things that Miscavige was trying to do. In the process Bob and Mike forged a true bond.

When I ran for city council in Clearwater in 2020, Mike endorsed me and supported my campaign, including showing up at campaign events to talk on my behalf. His endorsement along with Leah Remini’s were probably the biggest reason I managed to win. He was always ready to support me in whatever was needed, including visiting City Hall to explain to our new city manager and city attorney exactly what they were up against when dealing with Miscavige. I know at least city attorney David Margolis took his words to heart.

While I wasn't particularly close to Mike, he and his wife Christie were kind enough to invite me into their home, the first time to grant me interviews on video and afterwards to join them for the holidays when the house was always filled with friends, food, and joy. Mike and Christie were blessed to have found each other and they created a wonderful life for themselves and their kids.

In the interview he gave me in 2011, Mike said he hoped to find some way to continue helping people after leaving Scientology. He did just that and wound up one of the most valuable voices at a key moment when the media was ready to give his wisdom, expertise and warmth to a global audience.

Pete Griffiths. I met Mike in Dublin at a debate held in Trinity College abut the validity and efficacy of “independent” Scientology versus the “Church.”

At that point, he was speaking on behalf of independent Scientology. He'd left the cult but was still supportive of the tech, although I could see him wavering.

He was very affable and approachable and he did a good job although he said it himself in his introductory address, he was at a disadvantage and he was right, the critics won the day.

Then Mike became one of the best critics, although he remained a somewhat controversial figure with some who had never had any connections with Scientology refusing to forgive him. I took a different view and easily moved on.

Over the years Mike was always available to me and helped me on many occasions. Often I’d ask him “Mike, what would OSA do?” His answers were always accurate and of course informed and influenced many decisions that I made.

I always kept my friendship with him undercover. But I knew him and he knew me very well, although we never met again after that first time.

I often sent him advices, and he was always ready and willing to advise me, thereby we both escaped many pitfalls that could have been very prominent and damaging.

His last reaction with me was to send me his book with a lovely inscription which I treasure and always will.

Now I want to wish all his family the very best for the future. You have lost a good man, but his memory will live on and he is verily acknowledged by many and always will be.

Also all friends of Mike, let's live to see the day when the abuse, crimes and fraud of Scientology is dealt with permanently and it is us who celebrate with champagne.

Jeffrey Augustine. Mike Rinder's death was reported internationally in the New York Times; Daily Mail; Washington Post; Hollywood Reporter; Entertainment Weekly, and so many other major media outlets. This coverage shows the enormous stature and respect Mike Rinder earned in the years since he escaped from Scientology in 2007 with nothing but the clothes on his back, a suitcase, and a few dollars. Along with the international stories were the many tributes to Mike and stories about his passing posted on all of the social media sites by the people who personally knew and loved him. Because Mike Rinder was so generous with his time, expertise, and was always willing to help, he made countless friends and came to know so many people all over the world.

I began writing about Scientology on xenu.net in 2005 and often posted about Mike Rinder's activities when he was the Commanding Officer of OSA. During this time, my friend Shawn Lonsdale (1969-2008) had audaciously begun live streaming from Downtown Clearwater. Shawn was clearly ahead of his time in terms of livestreams. Shawn's filming of Scientologists on the public streets in Clearwater infuriated the Cult to such a degree that John Sweeney of the BBC's Panorama series decided to fly to Clearwater and interview Shawn as part of Panorama's Scientology and Me special which aired in May, 2007.

Scientology and Me was a pivotal event in Mike Rinder's life, and that of many others, for a number of reasons. In 2007, Mike had been incarcerated in the nightmarish SP Hole for quite some time along with other International Scientology executives. David Miscavige replaced Mike as Scientology's international spokesperson with a mercurial, and sometimes deranged and very angry man, Tommy Davis. Indeed, Tommy Davis ambushed John Sweeney's rooftop interview with Shawn Lonsdale and attempted to attack Shawn for being a gay man. Shawn was nonplussed and this enraged Tommy, who stormed off. John Sweeney's presence in Clearwater set the stage for an epic collision between John Sweeney and Tommy Davis.

In the background of this showdown was a very gaunt and haggard Mike Rinder in what would become his very last assignment for OSA. This image is of great importance as it shows the incredible psychological and physical stress Mike Rinder had been placed under by David Miscavige. The cracks are showing in Mike's commitment to Scientology.

In this same timeframe, someone with the screen name of “Blownforgood” was posting stories about Scientology's Gold Base on xenu.net. One day Blownforgood posted the story of Musical Chairs. This story of David Miscavige's insane and sadistic cruelty went viral. Someone else was posting “Little Dickie’s Bedtime Stories,” which were all about the brutal insanity of a little man named Captain David Miscavige. Scientology was leaking like the Titanic in 2007 when the unthinkable happened: Mike Rinder blew! Mike went public after he escaped from Scientology. As a consequence Mike was, as are all of us who speak out against Scientology, targeted for Fair Game. How much of the Fair Game against Mike and the rest of us is criminal in nature is unknown. What we do know is that Scientology's PI Eric Saladigarra was convicted and sentenced to jail in 2015 for hacking the email accounts of Mike Rinder and Tony Ortega.

After he blew, Mike lent his expertise to many court cases. He also debriefed the FBI and other agencies in America and abroad on the inner workings of Scientology which can be quite labyrinthine and buried in the often indecipherable language created by L. Ron Hubbard. Many former Scientologists and critics have helped in this same way; we have acted as translators to law enforcement, law firms, and other parties to make an otherwise incomprehensible Cultspeak that was designed to obfuscate by its impenetrability. I have done this many times myself.

I began doing interviews for YouTube and iTunes in 2014 of former members. I wanted to help build an oral history of Scientology by interviewing people from Int execs to the children who had been born into the Sea Org. These first person accounts are so important. Mike Rinder was my first interview and I enjoyed interviewing him many times over the years. Mike was interviewed countless times by major media and social media channels. He was always professional and articulate in his approach. No matter who was interviewing him, Mike treated everyone with respect. Mike's expertise, dignity, and credibility resonated with a wide international audience. This is why Alex Gibney wanted him for Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief which was awarded an Oscar in 2015 for Best Documentary.

Mike went on to appear with fellow former Scientologist Leah Remini on three seasons of Leah’s show Scientology and the Aftermath. Both Leah and Mike won Emmys for their work on the show. Mike and Leah had a natural chemistry on camera which reflected their deep and abiding friendship, courage, and mutual respect. Leah visited Mike and Christie during the final days of Mike’s life.

In his final letter, Mike told us all that he had lived two lives in one lifetime. He did this and, in his post-Scientology life, he learned about love, family, and friends, and the power of community, all of which are never taught or learned in Scientology. Mike had the great fortune to marry Christie and have a son with her and to be a stepfather to her son.

Mike Rinder was a rare individual who participated in the rise of Scientology at the top levels and then courageously worked to expose this vicious Cult from the outside. Mike accomplished so much since he fled Scientology in 2007. He truly did live two lifetimes in his 69 years.

Mike did not live to see Scientology stripped of its ill-gotten IRS 501(c)(3) tax exemption, but the fight remains to see that goal achieved and so bring to an end the atrocities perpetrated by the Church of Scientology.

Mike told us all to keep up the fight against Scientology and that is what we will do.

Vaya con dios, Mike.

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Jon Atack and Karen de la Carriere

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