The husband of televangelist Juanita Bynum will be charged with aggravated assault and terroristic threats following a confrontation in which he left her badly bruised, Atlanta police said.
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Officer Ronald Campbell said Bynum met with authorities Thursday at an undisclosed location to press the charges against preacher Thomas W. Weeks III, founder of Global Destiny churches.
The struggle happened early Wednesday in a hotel parking lot near Atlanta's airport, and a hotel bellman pulled Weeks off Bynum, Campbell said.
"They were talking about a reconciliation. They got into an argument. In the process of the argument, her husband walked out to the parking lot area, turned back around and started to choke Miss Bynum," Campbell said.
"As he choked her, he pushed her down to the ground and started to kick her and also stomp on her," he said. "There was a bellman at the location who witnessed the whole assault, intervened, and pulled Mr. Weeks off of Miss Bynum."
Weeks did not return a phone message or an e-mail request for comment Thursday by The Associated Press. A call to Global Destiny was answered only by a recorded message with information about the ministry.
Campbell told the AP on Thursday he was unsure if investigators had spoken with Weeks.
Amy Malone, a publicist for Bynum, said, "She was not in a fight with her husband; she was attacked by her husband."
Malone said Bynum did not wish to add anything further.
"Basically she is recovering," Malone said. "The appropriate steps have been taken to ensure that this does not happen again. She just asks that everyone respect her privacy."
Bynum is a former homemaker, hairdresser and flight attendant who became a Pentecostal evangelist. She got a break when Bishop T.D. Jakes invited her to speak at one of his conferences several years ago.
Her ministry blossomed after her "No More Sheets" sermon about breaking free of sexual promiscuity at a singles event. She writes books, records inspirational CDs and preaches to millions through televised sermons.
She married Weeks in 2002 in a televised wedding.
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Officer Ronald Campbell said Bynum met with authorities Thursday at an undisclosed location to press the charges against preacher Thomas W. Weeks III, founder of Global Destiny churches.
The struggle happened early Wednesday in a hotel parking lot near Atlanta's airport, and a hotel bellman pulled Weeks off Bynum, Campbell said.
"They were talking about a reconciliation. They got into an argument. In the process of the argument, her husband walked out to the parking lot area, turned back around and started to choke Miss Bynum," Campbell said.
"As he choked her, he pushed her down to the ground and started to kick her and also stomp on her," he said. "There was a bellman at the location who witnessed the whole assault, intervened, and pulled Mr. Weeks off of Miss Bynum."
Weeks did not return a phone message or an e-mail request for comment Thursday by The Associated Press. A call to Global Destiny was answered only by a recorded message with information about the ministry.
Campbell told the AP on Thursday he was unsure if investigators had spoken with Weeks.
Amy Malone, a publicist for Bynum, said, "She was not in a fight with her husband; she was attacked by her husband."
Malone said Bynum did not wish to add anything further.
"Basically she is recovering," Malone said. "The appropriate steps have been taken to ensure that this does not happen again. She just asks that everyone respect her privacy."
Bynum is a former homemaker, hairdresser and flight attendant who became a Pentecostal evangelist. She got a break when Bishop T.D. Jakes invited her to speak at one of his conferences several years ago.
Her ministry blossomed after her "No More Sheets" sermon about breaking free of sexual promiscuity at a singles event. She writes books, records inspirational CDs and preaches to millions through televised sermons.
She married Weeks in 2002 in a televised wedding.
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