Last year, it built or renovated opulent Scientology churches, which it calls Ideal Orgs, in Rome; Malmo, Sweden; Dallas; Nashville, Tenn.; and Washington. She abandoned her family. From 2016 to 2019, Rinder co-produced and co-hosted the A&E documentary seriesLeah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermathwith fellow ex-Scientologist Leah Remini. Subsequently, he appointed and ordained himself the "First Independent Scientology Minister" in 2010. In October of the same year, he met Hubbard for the first time upon joining Hubbard's shipApollo, which Rindercallsthe "floating headquarters for Scientology.". All Rights Reserved. To report about any issues in our articles, please feel free toContact Us. I didn't get any messages or a normal letter, even if it's a little note, or anything. Despite all they have been through together, the Collbrans are divorcing. Christie was born into a family of Scientologists, and her parents are Liz and Ed King. Joanie Sigal is a 36-year parishioner in Clearwater who promotes the churchs antidrug campaign to local officials. [8] When he was 5 years old his parents became interested in Scientology and the family began attending the Church of Scientology International center in Australia. They now had a child and no money, but thought they were in good standing with their church. I wasnt expecting it. Instead of telling his wife of 31 years or his children himself, Rinder emailed Bernardini's associate to break the news that "he left and isn't coming back.". Mr. Davis, the churchs current spokesman, said Scientologists are no different from Mormons, Catholics, Jehovahs Witnesses and Amish who practice shunning or excommunication. They went through that file, wrote this affidavit as if I wrote it.". That, coupled with her knowledge and experience, provides . Born into a family of Scientologists, Collbran, now 33, was raised in a loving home by her parents, Ed and Liz King. That Cooper himself knew every sordid detail of Christie Collbrans story and never whispered a word of it to AC360 viewers is yet another wrinkle in her soap opera. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'biographyhost_com-box-3','ezslot_1',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-box-3-0'); Mike Rinder is an Australian-American former Scientologist known for being a former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and the Sea Organization (Sea Org), based in California. She knew that the Sea Org did not allow its members to have children, and she had known women who were removed when they refused to have abortions. Christie King Collbran was in the Sea Org from the age of 16 until the age of 29. So while her ex, Chris, turned to drugs and women (both of which he had secretly pursued while in the Sea Org) Christie took that prominent place in the bed of Rinderthe original family heartbreaker. It is very, very prevalent. We are aware of four . Speaking to Freedom Media & Ethics in January 2022, she said, "As the daughter of Mike Rinder, I felt like I didn't have a father. He conducted a wedding as "First Independent Scientology Minister" on 3 July 2010 in Pinellas County, signing a state marriage certificate that read, "Michael J. Rinder, Minister Independent Church of Scientology." By 16, she was recruited into the Sea Org, so named because it once operated from ships, wearing a Navy-like uniform with epaulets on the shoulders for work. The family livedas the Kings still doin a suburb outside Los Angeles. She began acting in musical theatre productions at the age of four, which led her to roles in film and television. Anonymous said it was protesting the Church of Scientologys attempts to censor Internet posts of material the church considered proprietary including a video of Tom Cruise, an ardent Scientologist, that was created for a church event but was leaked and posted on YouTube. She thought that she could talk to me and tell me the things that she was going to tell me that would make me think ScientologyI should abandon it. They worked seven days a week, on little sleep, for sporadic paychecks of $50 a week, at most. Haggis had been a member for 35 years. He visited the founder of Scientology L. Ron Hubbard's home in England with his family for the first time in 1966. As a result, he was raised a Scientologist from the age of six. She turned her back on us, fully turned her back on us. Instead of reporting to Sussex, he decidedto leave the churchin 2007. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'biographyhost_com-banner-1','ezslot_7',147,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-banner-1-0'); In his website bio, Rinder says he left the church after he decided that "there was no way he could change the culture of violence and abuse that had become endemic under the leadership of David Miscavige. VIDEO TRANSCRIPT. The Collbrans went back to work for the church in Los Angeles, but Christie Collbran found the atmosphere so oppressive that she again resolved to leave. Christie celebrated 45th birthday on January 29. His resignation letter recounted his indignation as he came to believe the defectors' accusations. Christie talks about Jim Lynch, the washed-up reporter hired by "Freedom" magazine to harass targets of scientology's Fair Game campaigns. She knew that the Sea Org did not allow its members to have children, and she had known women who were removed when they refused to have abortions. in Historic Downtown Ocala, Florida, Church of Scientology of Tampa Expands Into New Historic Landmark Ybor Square Home, Church of Scientology Opens New Church in the Heart of Moscow, Ribbon Falls on Australia's First Ideal Church of Scientology, Church of Scientology flips the switch on 185,000-square-foot Dissemination and Distribution Center, Ribbon Falls on New Church of Scientology for the Pacific Northwest, New Ideal Church of Scientology Welcomed to Historic Home in City of Roses, New National Organization for Mexico Opens its Doors in the City of Palaces, Church of Scientology of Los Angeles Opens New Ideal Quarters, Diverse Community Welcomes New Life Improvement Centre in Johannesburg, Fastest-Growing U.S. City Welcomes New Church of World's Fastest-Growing Religion, New Scientology Church in the Historic Heart of French Canada, The First Branch of Churches of Scientology for Europe opens in Brussels, New Scientology Church on Washington DC's "Church Row", In the Eternal City, a New Church of Scientology, The Landmark Fort Harrison Fully Restored, Mike Rinder's Live-in Media Puppet, Christie Collbran, AKA: Running Away From the Subject of Their Program, Anderson Cooper's Definition of "An Investigation", A Beating Every Day While 10,000 Miles Away, The True Face of Scientology: Unparalleled Growth Since 2004, A Timeline of CNN's Investigation aka: Running, Tricks of the Trade: How Anderson Cooper Tries to Sound Learned But Is Actually a Hack, CooperSpeak: How Terrorists Become Protesters, How Anderson Cooper Torpedoed an Interview, Marty Rathbun: ABriefChronology of Monumental Disasters, The Career of Kingpin Rathbun, Postcards from the Edge or Marty Takes a Holiday, Marty Rathbun: AHistory ofHiddenViolence, The Kinky Relationship, Rathbun&Rinder, The Confessions of Marty Rathbun as Told by His AlterEgo, The Rathbun Family: Madness, Mayhem and Mysterious Death, Amy Scobee: Sex, Lies andtheBlogosphere, Steve Hall: The Man Who Tells It Straight From the Straitjacket, Defrocked Apostates: TheRoadtoRedemption. The new Flag Building, in Clearwater, Fla., which has been under construction since 1999. They may spend hundreds of hours in one-on-one "auditing" sessions, holding the slim silver-colored handles of an e-meter while an auditor asks them questions and takes notes on what they say and on the e-meter's readings. So she intentionally conceived a child. We just didn't understand.". "All of the personal things you ever said, all the secrets, the transgressions, are all kept in there. They signed a contract for a billion . They were also handed what the church calls a "freeloader bill" for services rendered, of $90,000, which they later negotiated down to $10,000 for Christie Collbran's portion and paid. If the church believed that someone was an enemy and needed to be silenced or destroyed, it was my job and I did it," hesaid. He also oversaw a large extent of Scientology litigation and directed the destruction of anti-Scientologists. "This is a representation of our success," said the church's spokesman, Tommy Davis, showing off the building's cavernous atrium, still to be clad in Italian marble, at the climax of a daylong tour of the church's Clearwater empire. But asked about the churchs membership, Mr. Davis said, I couldnt tell you an exact figure, but its certainly, its most definitely in the millions in the U.S. and millions abroad.. She joined the Sea Organization at 16 in 1993 and married Chris Collbran at 22 in 1999. Their parents, siblings and friends who are Scientologists would have to disconnect completely from them, or risk being declared suppressive themselves. It's pinch-yourself material." Claire King. But the time in which she crossed the finish line at Memorial Stadium's 50-yard line really was . As for the defectors, Davis called them "apostates" and said that contrary to their claims of having left the church in protest, they were expelled. The family livedas the Kings still doin a suburb outside Los Angeles. "This is a result of our expansion. In 1993, when she was 16, Christie joined the Sea Organization, where she remained for 13 years. They now had a child and no money, but they thought they were still in good standing with their church. Shes just not Christie, to me, shes not Christie. CLEARWATER, Fla. Raised as Scientologists, Christie King Collbran and her husband, Chris, were recruited as teenagers to work for the elite corps of staff members who keep the Church of . Despite all they have been through together, the Collbrans are divorcing. She endured sadistic and bizarre injustice for the simple reason that she would not robotically follow more T tua 2 1k followers More information Christie King Collbran | www.scientology-cult.com This is a representation of our success, said the churchs spokesman, Tommy Davis, showing off the buildings cavernous atrium, still to be clad in Italian marble, at the climax of a daylong tour of the churchs Clearwater empire. The defectors say Sea Org members were repeatedly beaten by the church's chairman, David Miscavige; pressured to have abortions; forced to work without sleep on little pay; and held incommunicado if they wanted to leave. They do believe in God, or a Supreme Being that is associated with infinite potential. However, Christie got pregnant in 2006 amid their fragmented marriage. It still took two months before the church let the Collbrans go, in 2006, and not before making them sign affidavits. Christie King Collbran, who has left the Church of Scientology's elite religious order, the Sea Org, at her home in Safety Harbor, Fla. U.S. > Image > March 7, 2010 By doing enough auditing, taking courses and studying Mr. Hubbards books and lectures for which some Scientologists say they have paid as much as $1 million Scientologists believe that they can proceed up the bridge to total freedom and live to their full abilities as Operating Thetans, pure spirits. The churches used to be busy places where members socialized and invited curious visitors to give Scientology a try, he said, but now the church is installing touch-screen displays so it can introduce visitors to Scientology with little need for Scientologists on site. She still gets auditing, from other Scientologists who have defected, like Rathbun. Her parents remain dedicated Scientologists. He had already paid her airfare from Florida, so he too really had no choice but to pass her off as a credible source and take her for a stroll in New Yorks Central Park. And it was her decision. These accusations were made by top international executives who had devoted most of their lives to the church.. She eventually started a love affair with Rinder, married him, and welcomed their son together. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-narrow-sky-1','ezslot_19',155,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-narrow-sky-1-0'); She received treatment for her immediate injuries, but the damage was so severe that it required an operation to fix her bone and nerve damage. Davis, the church's current spokesman, said Scientologists are no different from Mormons, Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses and Amish who practice shunning or excommunication. The couple now have two small children. 30CHAMPAIGN If anyone athlete or otherwise was searching for inspiration on Saturday morning, they needed to look no further than Andrea Lytle Peet. Eventually I realized I was part of a con, he said, and I have to leave it and get on with my life.. Were working 16 hours a day trying to save the planet, and the church is shrinking., The church is vague about its membership numbers. Fifty-six years after its founding by the science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, who died in 1986, the church is fighting off calls by former members for a Reformation. We never will. The church in Johannesburg is thriving now that the Collbrans have left, Mr. Davis said. The defectors say that the average Scientology member, known in the church as a public, is largely unaware of the abusive environment experienced by staff members. She is an actress, model, and spokesperson for the Girl Scouts, USA. [9] After finishing high school he joined the Sea Org on the ship Apollo at 18. "These are common religious tenets," he said. Born into a family of Scientologists, Collbran, now 33, was raised in a loving home by her parents, Ed and Liz King. You know, like, how can this be true, what youre saying?. His friends sought out his council when making life decisions. Rinder visited the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard's home in England with his family for the first time in 1966. She fully believed in the mission: to clear the planet of negative influences by bringing Scientology to its inhabitants. Scientologists believe that human beings are impeded by negative memories from past lives, and that by applying Mr. Hubbards technology, they can reach a state known as clear. However, their scheme failed, and they were even required to pay more than $42,000 to the Church of Scientology. When Christie first called me and we had our first . To save a few weeks? He chose the former. So she intentionally conceived a child. Mr. Davis, the church spokesman, said the Collbrans exit was not unusual. Its like, No Christie, Im sorry, thisthis isnt going to happen. The Sea Org is a religious order that requires enormous dedication, he said, and leaving any religious order can be a lengthy process. The church works hard to cultivate public members - especially celebrities like Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Nancy Cartwright (the voice of the cartoon scoundrel Bart Simpson) - whose money keeps it running. which Rindercallsthe "floating headquarters for Scientology. Coopers response as to why he didnt let his viewers know would no doubt be his favorite catchphrase: I didnt think it was relevant.. Searching the Internet for Web sites about Scientology that are not sponsored by the church (an activity that was prohibited when they were in the Sea Org), they discovered that hundreds of other Scientologists were also defecting - including high-ranking executives who had served for decades. The couple welcomed their son named Jack in April 2012. The very survival of a religion is contingent on its protecting itself.. We just didnt understand.. Why did we work so hard for this organization, Ms. Collbran said, and why did it feel so wrong in the end? They have refused to speak to her ever since. They could not just up and go. In 2000, the couple transferred to the Churchs South African Continental Office in Johannesburg, and over the next several years their relationship with each otherand with the Churchheaded south. Christie Collbran remained in Johannesburg, and the church refused to allow them to contact each other, the Collbrans said. And thenand then telling me how stupid I was. Rinder married his first wife, Cathy Bernardini, in 1976, when they both were members of the Sea Org. For one, they said, the church had taken their passports. "All of the auditing that you do, there's files kept on it," Christie Collbran said. It is a gradual process, but eventually scientologists become convinced they are the only people on earth who understand what is going on, that anyone who questions or doubts them is an "enemy of mankind" and that hurting people or destroying their lives is justified as being for the "greater good." Scientology is an esoteric religion in which the faith is revealed gradually to those who invest their time and money to master Hubbard's teachings. To make their numbers look good for headquarters, South African parishioners took their maids and gardeners to church. They worked seven days a week, often on little sleep, for sporadic paychecks of $50 a week, at most. TRANSCRIPT: Our family was going along this path. It was her second marriage. "Eventually I realized I was part of a con," he said, "and I have to leave it and get on with my life.". Christie's segment begins at about 6:35. The auditors tried to talk them out of leaving, and the Collbrans wavered. The church has responded to the bad publicity by denying the accusations and calling attention to a worldwide building campaign that showcases its wealth and industriousness. She said Rinder was just trying to look like he was a caring father. Bradford-born King played the dastardly Kim Tate on Emmerdale originally for 10 years from 1989. They would lose the possibility of living for eternity. Apr. She said her mother could do nothing because of her crippled arm, and she helped her in everything, from tying her shoes, cutting her food, making her bed, and doing up her buttons. Our dedicated Editorial team verifies each of the articles published on the Biographyhost. Mike has two younger siblings named Judy and Andrew. ", In June 2013, he married his second wife, Christie King Collbran, also raised as Scientologist. Now, all Mike wants to do is "expose the abuses ongoing in the church" and "provide a forum for the exchange of information." Shes a completely different person. When Chris Collbran decided he wanted to leave the Sea Org, he was sent to Los Angeles, where potential defectors are assigned to do menial labor while they reconsider their decision. When a Sea Org member is with child, the couple is granted a leave of absence from the religious order until the child comes of age. Then, in 2006, even while their fractured marriage was nearing its end, Christie got pregnant. This is a result of our expansion. His parentsbecameScientologists in1960. Although on the other hand, whats a poor Anchor Boy to do? Christie King Collbran was in the Sea Org from the age of 16 until the age of 29. Let Children Think For Themselves Christie Collbran . Although she and her parents were very close, she said they had spent so much to advance up the bridge that they could not afford to attend the wedding. When Rinder quit the Sea Org, he also decided to abandon his wife and their children because they remained Scientologists. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-leader-2','ezslot_13',150,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-leader-2-0'); According to STAND League, Rinder soon launched a "billion-dollar" anti-Scientology harassment scheme with an anti-Scientologist Robert Almblad to profit off his independent church. Actress: Bad Girls. "All of the auditing that you do, there's files kept on it," Christie Collbran said. He said the church does require departing staff members to pay freeloader bills and to sign affidavits drawn up by church officials, but he contends that the affidavits never contain confidential information drawn from auditing sessions. 2010 These accusations were made by top international executives who had devoted most of their lives to the church.". Cathy said that she and her children had never heard from Rinder for those two years. "It was all built on lies," Collbran said. Now, "disconnection has become a way of controlling people," said Rinder, who says his mother, sister, brother, daughter and son disconnected from him after he left the church. " if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'biographyhost_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_11',151,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); In 2020, Rinder and Remini reunited to start a podcast calledScientology: Fair Game. These were not the claims made by outsiders looking to dig up dirt against us, Mr. Haggis wrote. "Since Anonymous has come forward," said Marc Headley, who belonged to the Sea Org for 16 years, "more and more people who have been abused or assaulted are feeling more confident that they can speak out and not have any retaliation happen.". Ms. Collbran, who is 33, said she loved the church so much that she never thought she would leave. "Why did we work so hard for this organization," Collbran asked, "and why did it feel so wrong in the end?". So it was with the Collbrans. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'biographyhost_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_18',154,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-mobile-leaderboard-2-0'); In April 2009, when Benjamin was starting his recovery, Bernardini said she informed Rinder, who lived in Denver. Finally, Ms. Collbran was permitted to go to Los Angeles, but husband and wife were kept separated for another three months, the Collbrans said, while they went through hours of special auditing sessions called confessionals. The auditors tried to talk them out of leaving, and the Collbrans wavered. The churches used to be busy places where members socialized and invited curious visitors to give Scientology a try, he said, but now the church is installing touch-screen displays so it can introduce visitors to Scientology with little need for Scientologists on site. In 1993, when she was 16, Christie joined the Sea Organization, where she remained for 13 years. Christie was with us and then all of a sudden she took a big U-turn. The reason, they agree sadly, is that they no longer see eye to eye on Scientology. Christie King Collbran was in the Sea Org from the age of 16 until the age of 29. Especially in the tone of voice youre saying it and sort of thejust shrill screaming. In Johannesburg, officials made the church look busy for publicity photographs by filling it with Sea Org members, the Collbrans said. In 11 hours with a reporter over two days, Davis, the church's spokesman, gave the numbers of Sea Org members (8,000), of Scientologists in the Tampa-Clearwater area (12,000) and of L. Ron Hubbard's books printed in the last 2 1/2 (67 million). It is very, very prevalent.. But the Ideal Orgs are supposed to be self-supporting, and the Johannesburg church was generating only enough to pay each of the Collbrans $17 a week, Mr. Collbran said. Last year, it built or renovated five churches. They signed a contract for a billion years in keeping with the churchs belief that Scientologists are immortal. However, Rinder showed no interest in his children after disconnecting from his family. Shes not the girl I raised. And then it ratcheted up and ratcheted up andto the point where Christie was screaming in my ear. She was also continually violating ecclesiastical procedures, all of which inevitably led to her demotion. "We're working 16 hours a day trying to save the planet, and the church is shrinking.". Born into a family of Scientologists, Collbran, now 33, was raised in a loving home by her parents, Ed and Liz King. The family livedas the Kings still doin a suburb outside Los Angeles. Scientology parishioners interviewed in Clearwater seemed unperturbed by the protests, headlines and lawsuits. By doing enough auditing, taking courses and studying Hubbard's books and lectures - for which some Scientologists say they have paid as much as $1 million - Scientologists believe that they can proceed up the "bridge to total freedom" and live to their full abilities as Operating Thetans, pure spirits. CLEARWATER, Fla. Raised as Scientologists, Christie King Collbran and her husband, Chris, were recruited as teenagers to work for the elite corps of staff members who keep the Church of. "Scientology hooks people with the promise of making them better. "These were not the claims made by 'outsiders' looking to dig up dirt against us," he wrote. Scientology is an esoteric religion in which the faith is revealed gradually to those who invest their time and money to master Mr. Hubbards teachings.