A recent lawsuit against music producer Sean “Diddy” Combs has put prominent pastor T.D. Jakes in the spotlight.
Federal agents raided Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami homes on Monday as part of a sex trafficking investigation, with Jakes being named among several other celebrities in a related lawsuit.
The suit, filed by producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, accuses Combs and his associates of engaging in a “sex-trafficking venture.” According to the suit, Jones has “irrefutable evidence” of Combs planning to use his relationship with Jakes to soften the impact of a previous lawsuit filed against him by his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
In November 2023, Ventura accused Combs of subjecting her to a “cycle of abuse, violence, and sex trafficking.” Since then, three more women have come forward with sexual assault allegations against the music mogul.
When reached for comment, a representative for T.D. Jakes initially declined to address the lawsuit in which he is named. However, Jakes has been at the center of controversy in the past year following unverified reports on social media accusing him of participating in sex parties hosted by Combs.
In response to these rumors, Jakes addressed his congregation in a Christmas Eve service, saying, “The worst that could happen, if everything was true, all I got to do is repent sincerely, from my heart. There’s enough power in the blood to cover all kinds of sin. I don’t care what it is, the blood would fix it. But I ain’t got to repent about this.”
In December 2023, Jakes attended Combs’ 53rd birthday party, generating criticism on social media. A representative for Jakes confirmed his attendance and clarified that he was only there briefly to record a birthday video. However, this partnership with Combs has raised questions about Jakes’ moral standards and commitment to promoting a “Kingdom Culture.”
Lawsuits of the rich and famous: Prince Harry, Dallas megachurch pastor T.D. Jakes among those named in lawsuit against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs as sex trafficking scandal builds, @joy_ashford reports. #SeanCombs #PDiddy #TDJakes #PrinceHarry #PottersHouse https://t.co/j9nEI0jqbg
— John Gravois (@Grav1) March 27, 2024
Jakes has built a successful career as pastor of The Potter’s House, which boasts a membership of 30,000 as of 2021. He has also been involved with global humanitarian efforts through the church. However, his association with Combs and failure to condemn his alleged actions raises concerns about his integrity as a spiritual leader.
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BEST summary I have seen for people trying to catch uppic.twitter.com/madCcF6ptx— Brendan (@BrendanMcInnis) March 27, 2024
