According to an interview handled by WSB-TV Channel 2 and the Atlanta Journal Constitution, two of Bishop Eddie Long’s accusers have come forward to speak despite the confidential settlement agreement that was reached three months ago with Long and New Birth Missionary Baptist church.
Accusers Jamal Parris and Spencer LeGrande have decided to break the binding agreement because their silence was waging an internal war with their consciousness. It was becoming increasingly hard for them to sleep at night knowing that Mr. Long’s unforgivable acts were being silenced by the same money that he used to seduce and abuse them with.
“The truth should’ve set us free,” said Parris. “I thought I could cover the pain up. I thought I could move, start over and everything would go away. I was terribly wrong. I’m living a lifestyle meant to crash.”
The pain seemed to outweigh the value of money for the two victims. The green pieces of paper with the superimposed president’s face on them could not remove the emptiness felt in their hearts.
“I’m going to tell the world – money does not buy happiness,” said LeGrande. “When you sleep at night, the problems are still there. The money stuff, who cares about the number? I feel like burning the money.”
The nightmares remained well after the payments were distributed. The reoccurring images were so overbearing that Parris said that he considered suicide.
“I would love to pull a trigger. I would love to take pills and go to sleep, and not have to worry about anything. But I can’t, I have a kid on the way. So I have to fight every day to make sure I leave a better name for my son than I do for me.” said Parris.
The story won’t end here because the victims plan on writing and releasing a tell all book that will elaborate more on all the activities that transpired during that dark period of their lives. They hope the book will help other parents identify the warning signs when kids start to form relationships with father like figures. The details will be vivid and straight forward so the reader can visualize and capture the pain that comes from the damage of manipulation.
“Ten years of details, each person, it’s gonna be a book full of ‘wow’s’ and ‘ahh’s’ and ‘Oh my God’s.’” LeGrande said, “You ain’t ready for the secrets. I don’t care if this book sells one copy. But if it’s just for me, this is what my life looked like, this is my voice for the first time.”
The fallout and ramifications from this case has been plenty. A once well respected Bishop has been labeled and vilified as a manipulator and sexual predator. Five kids have been tormented after they confided in a man whom they thought could fill a father like role in their lives. A good church has been side tracked from doing good deeds and forced to focus on negative exposure caused by one of its leaders. The media is having a field day with the storyline of religious leaders misbehaving.
The world is changing. Nothing is sacred anymore. Bishop Long’s accusers are proof of that. Regardless of what side you believe the old saying goes, where there is smoke, there’s fire.