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Juanita Bynum’s husband sued for $90,000
The husband of national evangelist Juanita Bynum is facing another court battle — this one from a former employee of Global Destiny Church who claims he owes her $90,000.
A civil case has been filed against Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III by a woman who says Global Destiny failed to reimburse her for items she was asked to purchase on the job for Weeks and his church. The plaintiff, Suzanne Ellis, alleges in a lawsuit she used her cash and credit cards to help Weeks with supplies.
Attorney for Ellis, Louis Levenson of Levenson & Associates in Atlanta said his client left her job after she was not paid back for the expenses.
“There was no written agreement but in the past she was reimbursed for the very same things,” Levenson said.
Levenson said in the lawsuit that Ellis made the arrangement with Weeks with the “expectation that she would be paid back.”
She is seeking the repayment of $88,556.28, plus applicable interest, attorney’s fees and any other relief “the court deems just and proper,” Levenson said.
The attorney did not know what items were purchased for Weeks.
The lawsuit, which was filed last month in Gwinnett County Superior Court, names Weeks and his church empire, Global Destiny Inc. as the defendants in the case. Weeks launched his ministry in Duluth with his famous wife, Bynum, an author, gospel singer and pastor.
After purchasing the supplies, Ellis made “multiple demands” that the money be repaid and she was not reimbursed, the court filing stated.
Randy Kessler, an Atlanta attorney representing Weeks in his divorce case said he was unaware of the civil case, but doubts the merits of its claims. “That doesn’t sound like the bishop I know,” Kessler said.
Weeks has suffered with money problems since he and Bynum separated. He was evicted from his $2 million country club estate in Duluth last June and was threatened with eviction from Global Destiny in August because of outstanding lease payments. He later made payment arrangements to keep his church and return to his home.
Bynum filed for divorce from Weeks after claiming that her husband allegedly choked, beat and stomped her to the ground in an Atlanta hotel parking lot on Aug. 21. Weeks was charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats and simple battery in connection with the incident.
The bishop has denied the abuse. Last week, he made an appearance on the television magazine show “Inside Edition” alleging that he, too, suffered abuse at the hands of Bynum.
Bynum is currently being featured in a two-part series in Essence magazine dishing about her stormy relationship with her husband. The couple wed in 2002.
AJC Staff Writer Ben Smith contributed to this report.
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