Brooklyn Bishop Lamor Whitehead, who was robbed of some $400,000 or extra in jewellery whereas delivering a sermon at Leaders of Tomorrow Worldwide Church buildings in New York Metropolis in July, has slapped two standard on-line personalities with $20 million defamation lawsuits every following the lack of church members and earnings after they allegedly painted him as a scammer and drug seller.

Brooklyn Bishop Lamor Whitehead, who was robbed of lots of of 1000’s of {dollars} price of jewellery whereas delivering a sermon at his Leaders of Tomorrow Worldwide Church buildings in New York Metropolis in July, has slapped two standard on-line personalities with $20 million defamation lawsuits every for lack of church members and earnings after they allegedly painted him as a scammer and drug seller.

In one of many lawsuits, Whitehead names Larry Reid, whose “Larry Reid Reside” present has a following of greater than 200,000 individuals on Fb alone. Reid, amongst different issues, can be the founding father of The MBN Community and the senior religious chief of Reformation Church of Atlanta.

Whitehead, who has been hitting out at critics because the theft at his church made worldwide headlines, additionally goes after De’Mario Jives of the “King Jives Present” in an analogous lawsuit.

“Because of (the defendants’) conduct, Plaintiff misplaced enterprise offers, church members and earnings,” Whitehead’s lawsuit claims, in line with the New York Day by day Information. “(Defendants) are liable to Plaintiff for defamation, libel per se and slander per se.”

Jives, in line with the lawsuit filed in Kings County courtroom on Friday, claimed on his YouTube channel final month that Whitehead “is sporting the identical jewellery that [he] received robbed in.” Jives additionally allegedly stated Whitehead was “drug dealing” and collaborating with “the Bloods and Crypts.”

Reid is accused of writing on-line that Whitehead scammed individuals out of cash and that he “might be locked up in about three months.”

The brazen assault on Whitehead’s church caught on video on July 24, made worldwide headlines after a number of gunmen had been proven robbing the bishop and his congregants of jewellery he claims was price lots of of 1000’s of {dollars}.

Info from the New York Metropolis Police Division cited by The New York Submit stated three masked gunmen burst into Whitehead’s church at round 11:14 a.m. on the day of the theft. The video of the incident reveals Whitehead rapidly surrendering to the gunmen as they relieved him, his spouse and the congregants of their valuable stones.

Whereas police sources cited by The New York Instances stated the stolen jewellery was price greater than $1 million, different stories pegged the worth at about $400,000.

Included within the jewellery stolen from Whitehead and his congregation are a $75,000 Rolex watch, a $75,000 Cavalier watch and a number of other crosses price tens of 1000’s of {dollars} every, the New York Submit reported.

Responding to the lawsuit Wednesday, Reid who initially posted the video of the theft, informed The Christian Submit in a press release that he’s but to see a duplicate of the lawsuit. He added that the submitting feels “private.”

“Bishop Whitehead submitting this lawsuit in opposition to me feels private. His ego has been injured and he desires to hit again. The theft video turned viral because of me posting it. I imagine Whitehead resents the response he’s obtained from the media and feels it’s my fault. His outburst on my IG Reside the place he emotionally exploded and up to date findings alleging he had stolen from others seemingly turned all media even the extra in opposition to him,” Reid stated within the assertion.

“This submitting is his approach of hitting again. He stated in a publish that the submitting was ‘his flip now.’ The criticism is his mood tantrum and an try to remain within the media and alter the media’s view of him. This is not going to work. He has to sit down with that.

Simply days after the theft in July, Whitehead exploded in a Fb Reside interview with Reid and Genesis Warren and informed them each to “kiss my a**” after they poked enjoyable on the theft and raised questions on the way it occurred.

Earlier than the interview with Whitehead, Reid and Warren, who leads Geneses Warren Ministries, speculated that the theft may have been a set-up, echoing the emotions of many others on-line.

Warren and Reid additionally poked enjoyable on the shabby look of Whitehead’s church, pointing to, for instance, a sheet caught to a wall with “thumb tacks.”

“Child, I used to be screaming,” Warren stated.

Reid additionally alluded to Whitehead’s prison historical past. The Brooklyn bishop was arrested in 2006 for a $2 million identity-theft rip-off. He served some 5 years in jail however was launched in 2013. He claims he was “falsely convicted and arrested for a criminal offense I didn’t commit.”  

Jives didn’t instantly reply to CP’s request for touch upon Wednesday however he informed the New York Submit that he was merely poking enjoyable at Whitehead.

“I’m a commentator,” Jives informed the New York Metropolis publication. “I give commentary on faith, politics, public figures, every part. … We make plenty of jokes, particularly about this explicit state of affairs, as a result of this man actually is a joke.”

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