Brooklyn bishop robbed mid-sermon suing social media critics for $20 million
BROOKLYN (PIX11) --- The blinged-out Brooklyn Bishop who was robbed mid-sermon is suing two social media personalities for allegedly attacking the flashy preacher on their platforms.
Lamor Whitehead, 44, pastor of Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministry in Canarsie, is accusing Larry Reid and DeMario Q. Jives of spreading lies that have cost him business deals, church members, and income, according to the court filings.
The two lawsuits seek $20 million in damages from the defendants.
“(Defendants) are liable to Plaintiff for defamation, libel per se and slander per se,” court records said.
The filing claims Reid, of Larry Reid Live, wrote that the bishop had scammed people out of money and said he “would be locked up for three or four months.” The accusations were seen and heard by thousands of people and embarrassed Whitehead, according to the complaint.
"Mr. Reid's statements exposed the plaintiff to public contempt, ridicule, aversion, and/or disgrace. … Mr. Reid's statements imply criminal activity and injured plaintiff's reputation as a pastor,” the filing said.
Reid, who has 345,000 followers between YouTube and Facebook, said he and the pastor have had a contentious relationship since they met last summer, but denies making any defamatory statements.
“The lawsuit is frivolous and unfounded,” Reid told PIX11 News. “My words have been misconstrued. I never said the robbery was false.”
“He is a poor example of what a Black pastor should be in the Black community,” he added.
Whitehead was preaching s preaching at Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministry on Remsen Street in on July 24 when three male suspects stormed in and robbed the preacher and his wife, 38, at gunpoint, police said. The victims told police the men made off with over $1 million in jewelry, including rings, watches, and chains.
Whitehead dropped to the ground in his burgundy vestments saying, “Yo, all right, all right, all right” after the bandits interrupted his lecture, according to a viral social media video. One of the thieves seen in the video straddled the preacher, took his jewelry, and stuffed it into his pockets.
“As I was preaching, I see three or four armed men come in… I told everybody to get down,” Whitehead said in the social media post at the time. “I didn’t know if they wanted to shoot the church up or just coming for a robbery.”
Jives claimed on his YouTube channel the preacher was affiliated with the nefarious gangs and selling drugs, while questioning the alleged robbery, according to the complaint.
“(The bishop) is wearing the same jewelry that [he] got robbed in;” Jives told his 80,000 subscribers, said the court filing.
“(Whitehead) came out of jail and went straight to the Bloods and Crypts;” and “this n---- is out here drug dealing,” the complaint said.
Jives could not immediately be reached for comment.