Leah Remini ‘shattered’ by Scientology whistleblower Mike Rinder’s death

'Mike saved my life and the life of my daughter and he stood by me through battles that felt insurmountable,' Remini wrote of the loss of her friend and colleague.

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.

“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.”