Eddie Long’s Wife Changes Her Mind and Decides to Go Through with the Divorce

Your Black World reports

Vanessa Long, wife of Bishop Eddie Long, has changed her mind again about filing for divorce with her husband.  After announcing recently that she was leaving, Mrs. Long withdrew her petition for divorce.  But within hours, she stated that she was going through with the breakup after all.

"Mrs. Long continues to hope that this matter may be resolved expeditiously, harmoniously and fairly; however, she has determined that dismissal of her divorce petition is not appropriate at this time,” her attorney said in a statement.

"To avoid any undue confusion, Mrs. Long's future statements, if any, will be issued through her attorneys," the statement said.

"I love my husband," Mrs. Long said after withdrawing her initial petition for divorce. "I believe in him and admire his strength and courage."

Just hours before reversing her original filing, Mrs. Long claimed that her marriage was "irretrievably broken" and there was "no hope of reconciliation."

"Vanessa is, and has always been, a loving, dedicated and committed wife and mother," Bishop Long said in a statement. "My love for her is deep and unwavering. It remains our sincere desire to continue working together in seeking God’s will in these circumstances."

Her bio on the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church website says that Mrs. Long is "the quiet strength in the Long family ... an awesome woman of God in her own right. She is an inspiration to many of the women at New Birth as they watch her lovingly and quietly support her husband in every sense of the word."

This would be the second divorce for Bishop Long.  His first wife, Dabara S. Houston, said that Long mistreated her and had a “violent and vicious temper.”  She also stated that she had to run away from Long to guarantee her own safety. 

Dr. Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University wrote a piece about Long, comparing him to another Georgia resident, Herman Cain:  “Their experience may also serve as a cautionary tale for women who are fascinated by men with money and power, for they should realize that wealth, influence and an infinite number of options can corrupt the souls of even the most righteous men.”