Televangelist George Bloomer Awarded $62.2 Million in Discrimination Lawsuit

A federal jury in Detroit has awarded $62.2 million to televangelist George Bloomer following a five-day trial against Kevin Adell, the owner of The Word Network. Bloomer, the founder of Bethel Family Worship Center in North Carolina, filed the lawsuit alleging racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation during his tenure as a host on the network.

The legal dispute stemmed from a 2019 incident in which Adell allegedly circulated a photoshopped image of himself dressed as a pimp surrounded by prominent Black clergy members. Bloomer, who hosted programs on the network from 2011 to 2019, objected to the image, citing its offensive racial connotations. According to the lawsuit, Adell responded by creating a second altered image featuring Bloomer, which the plaintiff argued was intended to demean him.

Bloomer left the network in 2019 amid a broader controversy that prompted calls for a boycott from other Black pastors. The jury’s verdict concludes the litigation initiated four years ago regarding the network's workplace conduct and treatment of its hosts.