Pastor Jamal Bryant responded to criticism over a nude tone dress he picked out for his wife to wear to the UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball on December 20 in Atlanta.
Social media users nitpicked the fancy stretch mesh gown worn by New Birth Missionary Baptist Church first lady, Dr. Karisha “Karri” Turner.
The lingerie-style frock looked great on Karrisha, but Instagram users were surprised that she wore it out of the house.
Pastor Bryant addressed the controversy from the pulpit during the megachurch’s New Year’s Eve service on Wednesday. He defended his wife’s decision to wear the dress that he bought and approved for the gala.
“Wear your dress, Karisha,” Pastor Bryant said, as he shut down all criticism of his curvaceous wife’s attire.
“I needed to get this straight, I needed to deal with it head on, because the other day the Internet went crazy about a dress my wife had on,” he said.
“Now they didn’t say anything about the 4 million dollars that was raised for the United Negro College Fund. They never mentioned that she prayed until Heaven came down. They never said anything about this was the largest fundraiser for … HBCUs in the country,” he continued.
Bryant called the fashion critics “insecure, jealous, petty, small-minded” people who need to mind their own business. The congregation cheered and applauded Bryant for defending his wife’s honor.
He added: “People got in their feelings and set up a false barometer of Holiness based off of a dress. Now you’ve gotta help some people because some people have embraced the full knowledge of ignorance without any assistance for understanding.”
Bryant clarified that Karisha’s dress was not see-through, “the dress was flesh color. But because you ain’t never been nowhere and ain’t never been exposed to nothing – I needed to set the record straight. Y’all don’t like this. I need to set the record straight: I bought the dress and I like it. I don’t care whether y’all like it or not. She ain’t married to y’all, she married to me!”
Church members leaped to their feet yelling “Amen!” and sanctifying the pastor’s words.
Karisha commented under an Instagram video of their big night out.
“My honey and I had a blast last night doing what we both love, celebrating and giving back to HBCU’s! Nobody does this better than @uncfatlanta [applaud emojis]. The 2026 Mayor’s Masked Ball was one for the books and The Bryant’s were thrilled to be apart of it! P.S. Baby I couldn’t breathe lol but the dress and I made it through.”
However, social media critics pointed to the verse 1 Timothy 2:9–10 in the Bible, which instructs women to dress modestly, with decency.
1 Timothy 2:9-10
King James Version:
“I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”
Watch the video below.
