Pastor’s Wife in Civil Lawsuit — Accused of Getting Violent on Airliner

By Juan A Lozano

HOUSTON – The wife of evangelical pastor Joel Osteen got physical when her demands that a small spill on her seat be cleaned up were not met immediately, a flight attendant testified Thursday at a civil trial over the incident.

Continental Airlines flight attendant Maria Johnson testified that Victoria Osteen grew increasingly agitated and pushed her co- worker, Sharon Brown, though the flight attendants had remained professional and reassured her a crew had been called to clean the spill, which was about the size of a 50-cent piece.

“She was demanding that attention be given to her immediately,” Johnson said. She added that Victoria Osteen kept saying: “This is ridiculous. I’m a first-class passenger.”

Brown is suing Osteen, alleging that Osteen threw her against a bathroom door and elbowed her in the breast before the start of a 2005 flight to Vail, Colo.

Johnson confirmed Brown’s claims that Osteen became so upset she tried to get into the cockpit and had to be physically restrained.

“She took Sharon by the shoulders and pushed her out of the way. Sharon stumbled,” Johnson testified.

Rusty Hardin, Osteen’s attorney, said the lawsuit is simply a money grab.

“This is nothing more than an attempted extortion,” Hardin told jurors during opening statements in the trial in which he said his client did nothing wrong.

Just before her testimony concluded, Johnson suggested race might have played a role because of remarks Osteen made about wanting to deal only with Johnson, who is white, and not with Brown or another flight attendant on the plane, who are black.

Hardin condemned Johnson’s claim and pointed out the racial diversity of the congregation at Lakewood Church, of which Osteen is co-pastor.

The Houston, Texas, church is a converted basketball arena where about 42,000 people flock each week for services where her husband preaches.

Joel Osteen, who was by his wife’s side in court Thursday, has written books that have been sold around the globe, and his weekly television address is broadcast nationally and internationally.

Brown is seeking an apology and punitive damages amounting to 10 percent of Victoria Osteen’s net worth as part of her suit.

Originally published by Juan A. Lozano Associated Press .

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