Aftermath Announcement
By Mike Rinder
August 14, 2019
https://www.mikerindersblog.org/aftermath-announcement/
In June we shot our series finale of The Aftermath...
...It will be our last show on A&E.
When we began this journey, we did not anticipate more than a single season. But the response was so overwhelming and we felt strongly that the people who stepped forward deserved to be heard. We were not previously aware of some of the abuses that came to light, and we felt they compelled further episodes.
And of course, Scientology's response to the series played a role too.
Scientology is a formidable opponent with a great deal of money and no restraint when it comes to attacking those who are speaking of their pain and loss because of Scientology's abusive practices. They made a lot of people, us included, determined not to allow them to get away with what they been able to do for so long.
You have embraced our courageous contributors and supported all of us throughout this difficult but rewarding journey. You have fought beside and with us and for that, we are humbled and honored.
Our work is not done yet. Unfortunately sponsored television has limitations.
There are things we cannot film or show on camera because of certain restrictions. These restrictions have limited us in many ways to tell the full story
and in some cases, not permitted us to tell the story at all.
For us, the work never stops. There are things we and others have done and are doing that have not been able to air.
We have met with lawyers, we have met with law enforcement and victims have come forward and spoken.
You will see and hear more about this in the future.
We have done some amazing work up to this point, and for that we are eternally grateful to our partners at A&E and IPC, especially Devon Graham Hammonds at A&E who has been our angel, our champion and our friend.
But now we need to go further. And we need to change our course of action.
In truth we have only scratched the surface so far.
To our incredible, loyal audience, we thank you for all that you have done. Without your support we would not have made it through the first season, let alone 3 years. Some of you probably tuned in initially because you were mildly curious about the crazy organization that couch-jumping Tom Cruise belonged to. But you stayed because you saw the real stories unfold. You cared for those who gave their lives to something they believed in, you realized that Scientology is not just an innocuous fad, but a
sinister and dangerous business that destroys families and lives and has amassed 3 billion dollars it now uses to try to destroy its perceived enemies...
...Now we must take this crusade to a whole new level where we are able to do what we know must be done to bring an end to scientology's ability to hurt more good-hearted people.
Without the chains which have constrained us, we are free to do what needs to be done and not have to wait for the wheels of bureaucracy to turn...
We believe that carrying through with things we have been
working on behind the scenes over the last few years is what it will take to finally end Fair Game, destruction of families, labor trafficking, sex abuse and predatory financial practices rampant in scientology.
Some of this we cannot disclose yet, some has rolled out already. There is now a strong legal team working with us to bring justice to victims and you have already seen some of their work make the headlines. We believe all victims of sexual assault should have their day in court and yet survivors of Scientology abuse have not often been afforded that opportunity.
That state of affairs is changing...
We are gearing up to end Scientology abuses once and for all.
We are certain, in the end, truth will triumph.