Bishop Eddie Long’s Wife Has Had Enough — She’s Filing for Divorce
According to CBS Atlanta 46, the long-suffering wife of embattled Atlanta prosperity preacher, Bishop Eddie Long, has filed for divorce.
Vanessa G. Long released a statement early Friday morning announcing her decision to terminate her marriage to Long, who is the leader of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia.
The statement reads as follows:
“After a great deal of deliberation and prayer, I have decided to terminate my marriage to Bishop Eddie L. Long. Accordingly, I authorized my attorneys to file for divorce on December 1, 2011.
It is my sincere hope that this matter can be resolved expeditiously, harmoniously, and fairly. I ask that you respect my privacy and that of my family, as my attorneys and I have agreed that we will not try this case in the media, and I do not intend to make any further statements concerning this matter.
I also ask that the public pray for my entire family during this difficult period of transition.
Thank you, and may God continue to bless and keep each of you.” Source
The divorce proceeding follows a tumultuous year for the Bishop, who, earlier this year, settled a sexual misconduct suit brought by 4 former Longfellow Youth Academy students, and a fifth man who was not included in the suit.
Photo: John Amis, AP
Drake’s dad encouraged him to use that “beautiful voice” (video)
Why is it that certain men only come around when their sons hit the big time? Canadian rapper Aubrey “Drake” Graham’s dad, Dennis Graham, used to be a drummer for Jerry Lee Lewis. But now Drake is a big star in his own right. And now Drake has trust issues with women because his dad wasn’t around during his formative years (between 2 and 6).
“They love your son — man, that boy gone,” Drake sings forlornly in his track “Look What You’ve Done” off his 2nd studio album, Take Care.
Boys need a father figure in their lives while they’re young — not when they’re grown with bank accounts of their own.
The money and the fame only makes Drake’s trust issues deepen. He can afford to fly women into town to remind him that he’s not his dad. Then he flies them back out quickly so he can bond with his boys, who he thinks can provide the love that he’s missing.
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And Drizzy got the money, so Drizzy gon’ pay it
Those my brothers
I ain’t even gotta say it
That’s just something they know
Drake’s dad, oblivious to his failings in his son’s life, is embracing his newfound fame with gusto. In a recent interview, Dennis, aka Papa Drake, says he encouraged his son to not only rap but to use “that beautiful voice” to sing.
Maybe that helps explain why the caged rapper sings?
Celebs Out & About: La La Anthony, 50 Cent
La La Anthony, reality TV’s black answer to Kim Kardashian, was seen strolling the streets of New York on Friday (Nov. 4) without makeup on. Normally, La La is the one who calls the paparazzi to snap her walking a block by herself or with her mom. Those staged photo ops are so tiresome. But judging by the annoyed look on La La’s face, she didn’t call the paps this time.
Celebs Out & About: Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah, Usher, Serena Williams, Tyra Banks
Alicia Keys and musician Swizz Beatz attended the Keep A Child Alive’s 8th annual Black Ball at Hammerstein Ballroom last night in New York City. It’s just a matter of time.
Photos: Splash News Online
Media personality La La Anthony, who attended the ball with husband, Carmelo Anthony, looked like something was weighing heavily on her mind.
Twitter Beef: Draya vs Zeralyn
Episode 10 of VH1′s surprise hit reality series “Basketball Wives: LA” aired last night. Afterwards, the network aired a special episode, “Basketball Wives: LA Overtime” featuring Tami Roman, the Hell cat from the BBW Miami series, interviewing the ladies on the set.
But the fireworks occurred off the set, on Twitter.com, when DrayaFace decided to come for your girl @Zeralyn, who has made a name for herself as the #1 stripper in Dallas, TX (she’s retired now).
The whole thing started when Draya hosted a party in Dallas earlier this month that was promoted by Zeralyn (who is getting paper for promoting parties).
Words were reportedly exchanged between the ladies at the party, and Draya decided to continue the beef on Twitter last night after Zeralyn cracked on her for dissing Kim Kardashian when they both do the same thing.
Clearly, Zeralyn came out on top with such zingers as:
“stop passing [your pu$$y] around like a Prayer cloth then maybe ur son could stop being neglected @Drayaface.”
Bishop Eddie Long sued in investment scam
Ten New Birth Baptist Church parishioners lost more than a million dollars after investing in a company endorsed by Bishop Eddie Long, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday in DeKalb County state court.
The suit charges that in October 2009, Bishop Long held a 3-day investment seminar at which he introduced City Capital Corporation’s then-CEO, Ephren Taylor to his congregation. Church members were encouraged to invest their hard-earned cash in the company, attorney Jason Doss told the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
“I am responsible for everyone I bring before you and what they say,” Long said at the seminar, according to the lawsuit. “The gentleman that I am going to bring before you is an ordained minster. That gives me great pride to bring him for you.”
Long was probably aware of the impending litigation when he uploaded a video to YouTube on Feb. 2, 2011 pleading with the investment company to “do what’s right” and return the invested money with interest.
He claimed neither he nor the church benefited financially from City Capitol Corporation.
But both the church and Long were compensated for their roles in soliciting the investments, the lawsuit contends.
Lawyers drop 3 of Bishop Eddie Long’s accusers
The big time lawyer for three of Bishop Eddie Long’s accusers has dropped her clients after they violated their confidentiality agreement in the sexual misconduct lawsuit.
BJ Bernstein dropped 3 of the 5 accusers because she said continuing to represent them was “a potential conflict of interest since Bishop Long’s attorneys have now filed a demand to recover damages in the case.”
According to Fox 5 News, Bishop Long’s attorneys filed a notification with the American Arbitration Association seeking to recover “not less than $900,000,” — $300,000 per violation by his accusers Jamal Paris, Spencer LaGrande and cross dresser Centino Kemp.
Sources tell Fox 5 News that Bishop Long’s attorneys are now demanding arbitration because the men “intentionally violated their settlement agreement in other media interviews and on Twitter.”
Paris and LaGrande recently sat down for several media interviews, while Kemp blasted Bishop Long in a series of “tweet” rants on his Twitter.com page two months ago.
According to Fox 5, Long’s lawyers argue that back in August Kemp tweeted “I got f***ed by the Devil Himself” and “I was literally your hooker.” In a separate tweet that he directed to @BishopEddieLong’s Twitter account, he wrote “why that’s all i want to no”
