A friend of the fourth man to file a sex abuse lawsuit against embattled mega-church preacher Eddie Long, sat down for an exclusive interview with Fox 5‘s Dale Russell.
Antonio Makins (right), an army veteran, says he believes his friend Jamal Parris, whom he refers to as a brother.
Makins, who grew up with Parris, says Jamal told him about the alleged sexual misconduct two years ago. Parris, who is 23, would have been 21 at the time of the alleged relationship with the bishop.
“He doesn’t know what to do. He’s just lost right now,” said Makins. He said he saw Bishop Long lavish jewelry, gifts, cars and money on Jamal and Jamal’s mother. “He’s like so brainwashed ’til he don’t know who to trust,” said Makins.
Makins said he was in Afghanistan two years ago when Jamal called him crying, telling him for the first time his story about his sexual relationship with the bishop. He believes Jamal would be too embarrassed to admit to such a relationship if it weren’t true.
But look at Jamal’s photos closely ( pictured left). It’s obvious that he’s gay — as are at least two of Long’s other accusers. It’s clear that, if there was a relationship between Long and his accusers, he singled them out because of their gay tendencies.
Makins said Jamal eventually left Atlanta and “went into hiding” before writing a letter about his alleged relationship with Long on his Facebook page in April.
Though he didn’t name the bishop, Jamal wrote: “…my joy and peace, my innocence, you murdered that genuine person that was inside of me. the person that god made me. you took away hope and you almost caused me to take my own soul.”
He also referred to taking his own life — “the life you gave.” So was Parris referring to his own father and not the bishop?
Of the pictures the bishop was alleged to have sent to the men, Makins said, “you’re sending pictures of yourself flexing and posing in spandex for grown men. It doesn’t make any sense.”
And that’s the crux of the story: all four of the bishop’s accusers are grown men. In order to win the lawsuit, the plantiffs must prove damages as a result of the pastor’s breach of fiduciary duty.
That will be hard to do since most of the accusers are gay, and at least one of them broke into the pastor’s office to steal the cell phone that the muscle shirt pictures were taken from.
None of these guys are innocent little boys.
