A flashy Brooklyn preacher who was robbed of more than $1 million in jewelry during a livestreamed sermon last July has filed a lawsuit against radio personality Miss Jones, accusing her of tarnishing his reputation on the air in September, according to court documents first obtained by The Daily Beast.
Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead, 44, is asking for $50 million from Jones, whose full name is Tarsha Nicole Jones, and her employers, Paramount Global and WXBK/94.7 The Block, alleging that the commentator defamed and slandered him during her morning show.
Specifically, Whitehead—who has ties to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, drives a Rolls-Royce, and was recently arrested for allegedly grabbing a woman by the neck mid-service—says in the suit that Jones’ statements on Sept. 13 that he “is a ‘drug dealer,’” is “using the church to hide that old drug money,” that he “assaulted the young lady,” and that “[his] church is where he’s probably still doing his dirty work,” are “false.”
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“Miss Jones’ above-listed statements directly concerning Bishop Whitehead are false,” the filing states, adding that the on-air comments “exposed [Whitehead] to public contempt, ridicule, aversion, and disgrace.”
“Miss Jones’ statements imply criminal activity and injured Plaintiff’s reputation as a pastor,” the suit continues. “Miss Jones’ statements were published on-air and heard by thousands or millions of people. Miss Jones’ statements were made in a grossly irresponsible manner without regard for truth. As a result of Miss Jones’ acts, Plaintiff lost business deals, church members, and income.”
Jones does not have a lawyer listed in court records and was unable to be reached for comment on Wednesday. Brian Ponder, Whitehead’s attorney, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is not the first time that Whitehead, a onetime mortgage broker who served time in prison for identity theft, has gone after entertainers who questioned how he could afford his high-flying lifestyle.
In September, Whitehead filed a pair of separate $20 million lawsuits against two YouTubers, claiming that their comments about him were defamatory and slanderous.
The complaints were similar to the new one filed against Miss Jones, with Whitehead accusing Demario Q. Jives and Larry Reid of calling him a con artist.
Jives claimed in a video a month earlier that Whitehead continued to wear “the same jewelry that [he] got robbed in,” said he engaged in “drug dealing,” and was involved with “the Bloods and the Crypts [sic],” according to court papers cited by the New York Post.
“I’m a commentator,” Jives told the outlet. “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.”
Last month, Whitehead sued Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Financial Services when the lender dinged his credit score over a late payment on his $300,000 vehicle. He claimed his monthly payments were up-to-date, and was “shocked and dismayed to see that his credit score dropped ~70 points as a result” of the supposed error.
In 2021, a parishioner of Whitehead’s accused him of duping her out of her life savings. That same year, he was sued by a New Jersey real estate developer over more than $330,000 in unpaid bills. Earlier this month, the Post described Whitehead as a “slumlord” for reportedly trying to evict 11 low-income tenants from four properties he owns in Connecticut.
Read it at New York County Supreme Court
