Bishop Eddie Long’s wife has filed for divorce, more than a year after four young men accused the megachurch leader of coercing them into having sex with him.
"After a great deal of deliberation and prayer, I have decided to terminate my marriage to Bishop Eddie L. Long. Accordingly, I authorized my attorneys to file for divorce on December 1, 2011," Vanessa Long said in a statement reported by the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In September 2010, it was revealed that for young men had filed suit against Eddie Long. They claimed Long, the senior pastor at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Ga., used his influence, gifts, trips and jobs to pressure them into having sex with him.
Long denied the allegations. The suits were later settled.
Eddie and Vanessa Long were married in 1990 and have three children.
In her statement, Vanessa Long said: “It is my sincere hope that this matter can be resolved expeditiously, harmoniously and fairly. I ask that you respect my privacy and that of my family.”
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