Mike Rinder Left His First Wife When He Left Scientology Behind, but Remarried Years Later

Former Scientology spokesperson, executive, and whistleblower Mike Rinder passed away on Jan. 5, 2024, at the age of 69. His wife, Christie Collbran, confirmed his death on Instagram with a heartfelt message, saying, "Rest in peace, my sweet, beautiful husband. I speak for so many when I say the sadness and pain we feel mirror the depth of our unwavering love for you. Your courage, bravery, and integrity are unmatched and will forever inspire us."

Although Christie didn’t share Mike's cause of death, a June 2023 Instagram post from Leah Remini revealed that Mike had been diagnosed with advanced esophageal cancer.

While Mike spent much of his later years with Christie, he was married before during his time in Scientology. Here’s a rundown of his marriages and what happened.

Mike and his first wife, Cathy Bernardini, were married for over 31 years and had two children, daughter Taryn and son Benjamin. However, when Mike left Scientology — a huge step that came with significant consequences, as anyone who has left the organization will attest — he left behind his family. While Mike has his version of events, Cathy has her own side of the story.

For Mike, life with his first family as Scientologists meant barely seeing them and enduring both physical and mental abuse, he explained in his book A Billion Years.

So, in 2007, during a trip to London, he saw an opportunity to escape and took it. However, according to Cathy, Mike abandoned her and their children, even claiming he was physically abusive. Cathy initially worried for Mike’s safety when he disappeared, but weeks later, an associate informed her that Mike had left and wasn’t coming back.

Months later, Cathy says their son was diagnosed with a rare form of malignant melanoma called desmoplastic melanoma at age 24. After multiple surgeries and a two-year ordeal to remove the cancer, Cathy said she hadn't heard from Mike, nor did he reach out to their children.

Here’s where things get complicated. While Cathy claims Mike deserted the family and refused to communicate, after he allegedly escaped abuse for freedom, he later returned demanding to see his kids. This raises the question: Was Cathy preventing him from seeing the kids? Either way, Mike escaped and went on to remarry.

While Mike dedicated his life after leaving Scientology to exposing its truths, he married Christie in 2013. Christie, like Mike, grew up under the Scientology umbrella but left the organization in 2006, according to The New York Times. She had a child from her first marriage and another with Mike.

Despite the challenges Mike claimed he faced after leaving Scientology — many strikingly similar to those Leah described in her documentary Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath — Mike and Christie seemed to go on to lead a happy and fulfilling life together. In his final message, which Christie shared on Instagram, Mike asked that people "help Christie and the boys to move forward into the next chapter of their lives."