Over the summer, a Brooklyn Bishop was robbed at gunpoint during a live streaming church service.
Armed suspected got away with over millions worth of jewelry at his Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministry in Canarsie. However, some online critics felt the entire story was fishy. Two YouTubers, Demario Q. Jives, and another online personality, Larry Reid, publicly accused the BK Bishop of being a scammer, plus other non-Godly things, the NY Post reports.
As a result, Bishop Whitehead filed a defamation lawsuit saying their commentary is “all false,” “defamatory,” and “slanderous.” He’s seeking no less than $20 million, the article reports. Whitehead says Reid’s statements “exposed him” to “public contempt.”
On Jives’ YouTube channel, he claims Bishop Whitehead is a drug dealer affiliated with the bloods and crips gang. The outlet also points out, that Jives accused Lamar Whitehead of wearing the jewelry he claims he got robbed in, according to a court document filed in Kings County on September 2. Reid allegedly said online that the bishop “will be locked up in about three months.” In addition, Reid wrote online that Bishop Whitehead “scammed people out of money,” according to the other lawsuit.
Jives told the outlet that he’s a commentator. He said, “I give commentary on religion, politics, public figures, everything. … We make a lot of jokes, especially about this particular situation, because this guy really is a joke. So for him to try to even file something is egregious.” He continued,
“He’s mad because people he’s getting backlash, and I’m like, ‘Dude, you’re doing all this talking about a robbery. Who else in the world is out here having interviews about being robbed?’”
Reid also responded to the lawsuit and said, “The key thing about a defamation lawsuit is you’ve got to show a loss, and you’ve also got to show malicious intent. I just stated what every other outlet stated, so he should be suing them as well.” He went on to say, “There’s no good reputation to defame. He has no case.”
On July 24, Whitehead was preaching and three male suspects stormed in his church and held the bishop and his wife, at gunpoint, according to police said. The victims told officers the men got off with more than $1 million in jewelry including, rings, watches, and chains.
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