Bishop Eddie Long Admits to Hugging Accusers, Giving Them Gifts, But Denies Long Strokin' 'Em

Bishop Eddie "How You Doin" Long promised to fight the charges brought against him by four men who say he coerced them into sex when they were teenagers; This afternoon, the Atlanta mega-church pastor filed a legal response saying each of the "claims of sexual misconduct are not true."

Long filed four separate responses, each about 30 pages and denying each accusation point by point. He admitted that he took the men on trips, but he denied the complaints of sexual contact. He did admit to hugging some of the men. "Bishop Long admits that it is common among his church congregation for members to hug each other and hug the Bishop," the suit reads. Long also admitted to giving the plaintiffs gifts, including cars, and helping them financially, but he denied that it was in exchange for sex. He said he has "provided sporadic financial assistance," and he routinely pays for rent and other expenses for New Birth members, according to the filings. In the filings, Long also admitted to speaking on the phone with the men, but said he could not recall who initiated the calls. He also admitted that the men called him "Daddy," "Bishop" and "Granddaddy," but said many members of his congregation called him similar names. "Bishop Long admits that he mentors many young men from challenged backgrounds who have often been without the benefit of a male role model," according to his filings. In his filings, Long said he is a "bold revolutionary spiritual leader," and Long has built a ministry that places "special emphasis on outreach to men, reinforcing to men the importance of partnering with a ministry that will grow them spiritually." source

The accusers' attorney BJ Bernstein said she doesn't have much physical evidence backing up the complaints, but she plans to subpoena records from the bishop that proves her case. Furthermore, local and state authorities have declined to investigate because Georgia's age of consent is 16.


Update, Dec. 7: Despite promising to fight to end to clear his name, Ms Long has agreed to mediation, which we suspected he'd do to prevent his brain-washed flock from learning about all of his dirty little secrets and how much of a self-hating hypocrite he really is during a public trial.