If Prophetess Juanita Bynum set up her husband, what was her motive?
In this portion of our exclusive interview with Bishop Thomas Weeks the disgruntled domestic abuse suspect spills more details about why he thinks his soon-to-be ex-wife set out to destroy him.
He says if all she wanted was a divorce he would have gladly obliged. Oprah's name even comes up in his speculative tale of alleged spousal betrayal and deceit.
We find out that in this couple's feud, Weeks is a total victim who thinks he is being used for Bynum's personal gain.
Still, as of this Dec. 21 interview it seems like a part of him doesn't want to let her go.
Lee Bailey: You said earlier and you've said this many times, that you're the victim -the actual physical victim in this relationship. Is that correct?
Bishop Thomas Weeks: Yes. She hit me and choked me. I wanna put it in this perspective. The reason I have never shared this with the public before-not that anybody should be abused, women should not be abused or men should be abuse or kick or hit or anything. In emotional dysfunctional times people shoe things to a spouse that say I need help. There's a cry for help. There's a need for somebody to reach out and do something. I walked through the situation. I tried to talk with her and deal with it. If it was s daily experience where she came home and threw things at me and she just did it every day, then of course that is a deeper issue of abuse. However, I think some people just lose it for a moment or possibly for a segment and really have to deal with it for a cry help. And that's why I took those areas even though I wish she would have stopped and said, 'Yes, I lost it on some of our heated fellowships and I did some things that I regret.' she never mentioned it. And that's one of the reasons I'm speaking out because you can't become-first of a fictitious face of domestic violence because you wanna take this cause and run with it for whatever gain it will bring to you, but you're not even bringing the balance to say 'listen, there could and might be issues on both sides depending on who you're married to and what their previous experiences are.' And as a person that is principle oriented that has always dealt with the fabric of empowering single and married relationships I just can't stay silent anymore without addressing this with truthful facts.
Lee Bailey: It's not beyond the realm of possibility to believe that you could strike back at her or strike her is she's been physically abusive to you. You are in the male species. That's in the DNA. I'm not saying that you did, I'm just saying it's not beyond the realm of possibility to believe that, after all, if like you say, she's been slammin' you. At a certain point …
Bishop Thomas Weeks: I believe that anybody could have the possibility to hit on anyone. However, my track record was consistent. I've always walked away. I've always kept the posture that we're not going to fight. I'm not going to be a person that will be labeled an abuser. My goal has always been t get away and I've always walked away from any volatile, aggressive situation. I've jumped out of the bed, put on my jeans grabbed my shirt, slipped into my slippers and walked out of the house in freezing cold weather in New York. I've had to push her off me before in a limo and tell the limo driver to stop the car and I've jumped out of the car on the highway outside of JFK Airport and start walking away. I've done it before. I'll do it again if ever confronted with something that looks to be volatile. However, when a person needs a clear out to do other ambitions and this seems to be a distraction-her marriage-and her base is women and she knows that women won't trust her if she divorces a man who's been good to her, then yes he has to be "villainized" … and unfortunately this was over the top.
LB: So did you seek counseling?
BTW: We've had counseling in our marriage. We've had good counselors. We've had counselors at the time of need. As a counselor For 21 years in relationships, singles or married, I'm a counselor, so I know when I or someone else needs counseling. I believe that counseling is healthy and necessary at points in times in relationships if need be. So at times we sought them when necessary and got good help and continued to grow … If people follow the track record she came out 2 weeks later, called herself the new face of domestic violence, did an exclusive with a local affiliate here. And listen, 'he's never hit me he's never done anything, he only pushed me at times.' She told the truth there and then she turns around on a national program and says 'wait a minute, there was a time of abuse and I had to seek counseling from his father and there were 12 sessions.' Now, why today you can tell the truth and tomorrow you can't? There are issues with that. There are issues when you know the facts 4 and a half hours earlier and then2 of your girlfriends come and pick you up and you go to a parking lot and sit there for a little bit and then you come back to the hotel and sit there for a little bit. Then you take photos of some alleged bruises and upload 'em to a gossip Web sites and then you call people to tell them to start looking and then you go the hospital and tell the hospital the attack was 2 hours ago and it just goes from one thing to another. Unfortunately, somebody has to bring this to a halt and that is me speaking. Just the facts. Leave the hype alone and deal with truth.
LB: You've said it in round about ways. What is her motive? Does she hate you? She wants to use you? What is her motive?
BTW: Clear cut. Juanita Bynum could not foresee another person married to me. She woke up at night and shook me and told me 'I never want a divorce form you because I know how your first wife feels you're a good man.' She's said on videotapes, through messages and times of teaching if anything ever happened to us she would stalk me. That she could never live without me. Now here's a woman who is going through emotional changes, and I can't say some things that I need to save for trial, but she's going through emotional dysfunction and she needs somehow or another to separate herself from her husband further. Therefore, the only way the feel free from him-is not to see him free by a divorce and married to somebody else, but if he gets jail time, especially 27 years, guess what, I don't have to see him again with anybody-by himself or with anybody. Secondly, 'let me use this as a cause and let me take it further and strengthen social women who are not spiritually and let them join me with all the base that I have from the "No More Sheets" era.' When people look at it gets fine tuned even to the place where she comes out, she makes a please on the local affiliate hoping that Barack Obama will give her twenty seconds to share what she thinks about domestic violence. She goes to Oprah Winfrey's house for a political fundraiser with other hundreds of guest who paid for the same ticket she paid for and makes it seem like she was invited by Barack and Oprah. Then she gets back and goes on the Tom Joyner show and says that Barack Obama just signed her to his campaign which was not true. She has a way of always adding hype to something to build her brand. Unfortunately I've been put in a place to be an instrument of destruction to do what-build her brand. I would have rather her to say 'I don't wanna be in this marriage, here's the divorce. I'm moving on.' I would have gladly signed it. But she knows her base would not have stayed with her. Because they would not believe what she taught and preached. There had to be a situation conjured like this to let her walk away and keep most of her base.
LB: (Sighs.)
BTW: … In the book that I wrote, chapter #3, her ambition was so relentless to be the next Oprah. There was a person in her camp who had worked for Oprah, who had direct ties to Oprah and Oprah was communicating with her, with Juanita personally that in 2 years Oprah was going to put her as the next her … Unfortunately at trial We'll break it down … Juanita was on a path of destruction. Some people were trying to save her, she was removing them because they were no longer agreeing with her.
LB: From a legal point view, the trial, where are things at?
BTW: Legally it's progressing. We're discussing the divorce. It's yet in the progressive mode. We're trying to finalize some clarity on a few points of motive. Not just for the divorce but how the divorce came about and we're moving forward with great clarity and focus.
LB: So you're dealing with 2 legal issues now-one of the alleged abuse-physical, and then of the divorce, is that correct?
BTW: That's correct.
LB: Which one takes precedence?
BTW: Obviously the divorce has precedence right now. The criminal may shift into precedence. It all depends on the timing between two judge and the parties. We've been trying to do the divorce very amicably and make it very clear. However, it is apparent from the documentation and evidence that has come since August 21 there have been some deep motives to destroy, discredit and totally annihilate the ministry and entrepreneurial developments that I have. . .
LB: How do you see this playing out. . .obviously I think you want it to go away
BTW: Honestly I think there will be a resolution to the divorce that will be amicable and appropriate and I believe the same will be with the trial. . .there will be a lot of people exposed, more than they ever desired. Unfortunately, this was not brought on by others and we'll just have to go all the way. . .
LB: So what kind of a Christmas are you gonna have?
BTW: It is a one of prayer and meditation reflecting for the new year and hoping that all that has been affected by this will begin to process their emotions and see the new year as a new day. . .I plan to come into 2008 with great focus on some of the entrepreneurial developments that I have been working on . . .
LB: Anything you wanna add that you want people to know one way or the other?
BTW: I'm just appreciative for individuals who knew that there was more than what the media was given to give them. . .I just hope that people will have an open consciousness to hear the facts and not fiction.
LB: One last thing. You were going to release the book and then you changed your mind. What was that all about?
The book was a 192 page document of some of my memoirs, my notes and sin the last 6 months about how I saw things and how I know things were carried out. . .The book was released on a Monday. Somebody brought a communication back to me that Juanita said when she heard about the book she felt like someone had hit her over the head with a bat. It was a very dramatized statement, but I heard it and felt it from a husband's perspective. I am obviously still sensitive as a husband because obviously I didn't get married to not be an effective and protective and guiding husband. But this side of me is also protecting the church because to whom much is given, much is required. . .I pondered for 48 hours and made an apology to her. . .and I made the decision that I would not ship it. I would not sell it. However, my advisors, 36 hours later, heard her brother go on the Tom Joyner show and blast me, blast the ministry, blast everything concerning us. . .We asked them and her and her publicist and anybody else to put it to bed. . .At the time, my publicist has the right to release the book if need be to bring clarity if the drama continues in the negative areas. So it's out of my hands whether the book gets released or not. I just made a decision that I would not release it.
LB: I'd like to have a copy of it.
BTW: I'm sure millions of other would as well.
LB: Thank you, sir. Merry Christmas and happy New Year.
