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Each entry reports what the person has said publicly about themselves, or what the cited source says. A former member's account is that person's account; the Church disputes accounts of this kind, and its replies are not reproduced here. Critics also dispute one another, and where a source reports that, the entry says so. Nothing here is a finding about anyone. Entries marked “lead only” have not been checked for current activity. Checked 1 November 2026.
The directory
| Name | Where to find them | What is established, and the caveat | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Ortega Journalist (not a former member) | The Underground Bunker (tonyortega.org and Substack); podcasts | Long-running independent reporter on the Church; hosts many former members as guests. Posting as recently as 1 Mar 2026. Reporter with a clear editorial stance; not a former member. Several items on this site cite him as a secondary source. | Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker (Substack) |
| Mike Rinder Former senior Church spokesman | Blog: Mike Rinder's Blog, “Something Can Be Done About It”; YouTube channel; memoir A Billion Years; co-host of the Fair Game podcast | Left the Church and became a prominent critic; co-hosted Scientology and the Aftermath. The Aftermath Foundation, renamed the Michael J. Rinder Aftermath Foundation in his honour, says his blog ran to more than 4,000 posts. He died on 5 January 2025, aged 69. The blog's archive pages show post categories (for example Disconnection, Idle Orgs, Media, Books) and a list of about 20 recommended books on Scientology. I could not open the blog's current pages for this check, so that list is as it appeared in a 2014 archive. In November 2024 he posted seven short videos on his YouTube channel, discussing among other things his cancer; they are linked in Tony Ortega’s 13 Nov 2024 post. Ortega notes the Bunker does not focus on disputes between ex-members. | Aftermath Foundation tribute, 19 Feb 2025; Tampa Bay Times |
| Leah Remini Former member; actor | Aftermath Foundation (the Michael J. Rinder Aftermath Foundation); TV series and podcast | Public critic since leaving; fronted Scientology and the Aftermath (2016). Filed a lawsuit against the Church and its leader (reported 2023). Lawsuit rulings were reported in 2024 (a judge dismissing part, other claims standing); I have not confirmed the current status. Foundation had a fundraiser scheduled for 11 Mar 2026. | ABC7; Global News; Tony Ortega, 1 Mar 2026 |
| Marc Headley Former Sea Org member (about 15 years at the Church's California base) | blownforgood.com; YouTube channel 'Blown for Good – Scientology Exposed'; author of Blown for Good (2009) | Left January 2005. With Claire Headley sued the Church in 2009 (dismissed 2010, appeal lost 2012; costs of $42,852.06 paid). On the Aftermath Foundation board per Wikipedia. Wikipedia is the source for these facts; the Church disputes accounts of this kind. A podcast titled 'Blown for Good: Scientology Exposed' is on Buzzsprout; host not confirmed. | Wikipedia, 'Blown for Good' |
| Claire Headley Former Church staff member | Appears with Marc Headley; guest on Tony Ortega's podcast | Co-plaintiff in the 2009 Headley suit. See Marc Headley. | Wikipedia, 'Blown for Good' |
| Jenna Miscavige Hill Former member; niece of the Church's leader | Author of Beyond Belief (2013); speaker Interviewed on CBC's The Current (page held in the collection) | Public critic and author. Current platform and activity not checked. | CBC The Current (collection); book listing |
| Mark 'Marty' Rathbun Former senior Church official (left 2004) | Blogs: 'Moving On Up a Little Higher'; markrathbun.blog | Prominent critic and key source for the 2009 St. Petersburg Times series; appeared in Going Clear (2015). Since 2016 he has criticized other critics; Jezebel reported in Dec 2018 that he appeared in videos criticizing Leah Remini and suggested he may have rejoined; this is unconfirmed. Not a dependable list entry. | Wikipedia, 'Mark Rathbun' |
| Mark Bunker Critic; reported as a former Clearwater council member (the source does not say he was ever a Scientologist) | XENU TV (website and YouTube channel, from 1999); documentary work | Elected to Clearwater City Council in 2020; lost his seat in March 2024; reported to have filed in 2026 to run for Seat 5. Not described as a former member. | Wikipedia, 'Mark Bunker' |
| Aaron Smith-Levin Former member | YouTube channel and podcast; ran for Clearwater City Council (2021) | One of the largest online followings among former members. Disputed inside the critic community: the Tampa Bay Times reported in Oct 2021 that he appeared on a show known for antisemitic and racist content. Listed because of reach, not as an endorsement. | Tampa Bay Times, 28 Oct 2021 |
| Jeff Beaumont Former Sea Org member | Podcast guest ('PTS for Life'); The Divorcing Religion podcast episode Episode titled 'The Scientology Experience in Canada'; the description does not establish a Canadian link | Describes being a second-generation Scientologist who joined the Sea Org more than once. Canadian connection not established from what I read. | Chartable episode page |
| Marion Evoy; Lorna Levett; Nan McLean; Frank Watson; Sylvain Bilodeau Listed as Canadian former members | None confirmed Canadian | Named on a 2009 list of ex-Scientologists who have spoken out; Evoy is described there as a former Canadian head of the Guardian's Office and Levett as a former head of the Calgary church. The list was last updated July 2009. Current status of each person is unknown. Not to be published as active critics without checking. | Ex-Scientologists Who Have Spoken Out (2009) |
A television series
Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath ran on A&E from 29 November 2016 to 26 August 2019: three seasons, 37 episodes, with Leah Remini as an executive producer. It won the 2017 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Informational Series or Special, and its finale, “Waiting for Justice,” won a 2020 Emmy in the hosted nonfiction category. Former members, including several listed above, appear in it. Before it aired the Church issued a statement attacking Remini and set up a website against the series; the programs carry on-screen statements disputing their material. Availability for streaming or purchase varies by country and changes; check a service such as Apple TV or a streaming-guide site.
Source: Wikipedia, “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath”; Tony Ortega, The Underground Bunker. I did not find an episode on Narconon or the Purification Rundown in the source read.
Help for people leaving
The Michael J. Rinder Aftermath Foundation lists services for people who have left Scientology: applying for aid, missing-persons assistance, an education grant, “Start Here” and book resources, and a “People Who’ve Left” list, with a US phone line (888-FREE-002). It was created in December 2017 and renamed after Mike Rinder’s death. I have not checked which of these services are available to people in Canada.
Source: the foundation’s tribute page, 19 Feb 2025.
Why this page is here
The Purification Rundown and Narconon pages on this site rest on newspaper, broadcast and court sources. Former members are another kind of source: first-hand, but not neutral. Their accounts of the Rundown or of Narconon have not been checked for this page, and none is relied on above.
What is not known
- Which of these people still publish regularly; only Tony Ortega was confirmed active in 2026.
- Whether the Canadian names from the 2009 list are still living or speaking publicly.
- How the Leah Remini lawsuit has ended.
- Whether Marty Rathbun has returned to the Church. The 2018 report was an inference by the outlet.
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Corrections: drpolevoy@yahoo.com. Related: The Purification Rundown and Narconon; Scientology and Chiropractic (ChiroWatch).