ATLANTA —
The wife of Bishop Eddie Long, the famed DeKalb County mega-church preacher accused of sexual involvement with young men, has backtracked on an announcement to divorce her husband.
“After a great deal of deliberation and prayer, I have decided to terminate my marriage to Bishop Eddie L. Long,” Long’s wife, Vanessa, said in a Friday morning statement.
She said she filed for divorce Thursday and hoped it would move along smoothly, but soon after, she issued a statement saying she plans to withdraw her petition from divorce.
“I love my husband. believe in him and admire his strength and courage. My filing followed years of attacks in the media that frustrated and overwhelmed me,” she said. ” I love my family and church family, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Therefore, my husband and I have mutally agreed to find healing from these attacks.”
In June, Bishop Long’s church, New Birth Missionary Baptist, denied rumors that his wife was moving out. The previous month, Long reached a settlement with four men who accused him of sexual abuse.Former church members Maurice Robinson, Anthony Flagg, Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande filed lawsuits against Long in September 2010, saying he coerced them into sexual acts with gifts and money. They said some of the encounters were on lavish trips across the globe. Read more
