Now hereās a plot twist! The guy who Lynda mistakenly thought was driving the car in HALLOWEEN grew up to become a big television executive AND a friend of Leah Rimini. Make Haddonfield proud, Devon Graham!
So proud of my friend Devon Graham who was just promoted to head of nonfiction! Devon was the executive at A&E who oversaw our documentary series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.
Had it not been for Devon truly listening to us and, more importantly, to the victims and survivors who trusted us with their stories, it would have been a very different series. She understood that our responsibility was not to chase headlines or sensationalize peopleās experiences: it was to tell their stories truthfully, accurately, and with compassion.
She would fly 3,000 miles to sit in the editing bay with me and Mike Rinder, because she knew how much getting it right mattered to us. She spent countless hours listening to us explain what was important, and she also took the time to listen to the brave contributors who shared their stories. She understood how important it was that we honor those experiences, and make sure those stories were told with care and integrity.
She didnāt have to do that. It wasnāt really part of her job. Her job was to oversee the series and make sure we delivered the show. But she went far beyond that, over and over again, for three seasons.
Devon is that rare executive who deeply cares about the work, the people behind it, and the responsibility that comes with telling difficult and important stories. She never lost sight of the human beings at the center of those stories.
She was not only a friend to the many brave contributors who shared their experiences on The Aftermath, she also became one of my dearest friends.
Sony, you got a good one. Congratulations, my friend. Mike would agree, this is so incredibly well deserved.