Bynum’s husband holds ‘last call sale’
By ERRIN HAINES
ATLANTA – Less than two months after his arrest on a wife-beating charge, Bishop Thomas W. Weeks III is offering a steep discount on DVDs of his million-dollar wedding to televangelist Juanita Bynum and a book they wrote together.
His lawyer says he may seek alimony because of the losses her accusations are causing him.
Describing his “Last Call Sale” offer, Weeks tells visitors to his Web site, “Make sure that you get it right now because plenty of people are going to ask for it immediately. Get it while it lasts.”
Bynum made a reputation on her no-nonsense talk for black, Christian single women about breaking free of sexual promiscuity. After she and Weeks married in a televised ceremony in July 2002, they wrote “Teach Me How to Love: The Beginnings” and held seminars on marriage and relationships.
But they separated earlier this year and on Aug. 22, Bynum claimed her estranged husband beat her in a hotel parking lot. According to a police report, she told officers Weeks “choked her, pushed her down, kicked and stomped her … until a bellman pulled him off of her.”
Weeks has pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated assault and making terroristic threats. He is free on $40,000 bond and is not allowed to have contact with Bynum. Bynum’s divorce papers cited “cruel treatment” and said the marriage is “irretrievably broken.”
It was not clear how long the “Last Call Sale” has been going on Weeks’ site. The wedding DVD, book and a T-shirt are now available online for $10, advertised as a $60 discount.
Weeks’ divorce attorney, Randy Kessler, said his client denies beating her and is within his rights to sell the items.
“You’re allowed to continue to run your businesses during a divorce,” Kessler said.
Kessler said the posting on the Web of photos of her alleged injuries, Bynum’s continued media appearances and her reference to herself as “the new face of domestic violence” raise questions and “very well may be” a business strategy for her.
“There’s got to be some other reason for her wanting to keep all this stuff alive,” Kessler said. “It seems to add up to a lot more than a reason for a divorce.”
Kessler said if Bynum’s intention is to harm Weeks’ business, he may be advised to seek financial redress.
“He has not yet asked for alimony, but if she is injuring his ability to generate income, then certainly he would have a right to ask for financial remuneration.”
Amy Malone, a spokeswoman for Bynum, had no comment about the sale or the allegations regarding the Web site pictures when reached on her cell phone on Tuesday.
Bynum, 48, is head of a ministry that also includes a gospel record label and seminar tours. She has sold thousands of motivational books, CDs and DVDs related to empowerment and relationships.
Weeks, 40, is known to his followers as Bishop Weeks and is head of Global Destiny Ministries, based in the Atlanta suburb of Duluth