Victoria Osteen

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Victoria Iloff Osteen

Victoria and her husband Joel.
Born March 29, 1961 (1961-03-29) (age 47)
Residence Houston, Texas
Nationality American
Occupation Pastor
Known for Spouse to Joel Osteen
Religious beliefs Non-denominational Christianity
Spouse Joel Osteen
Children 2

Victoria Iloff Osteen (born March 29, 1961) is a pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, and she is the wife of Joel Osteen.

Contents

[edit] Success

The Greater Southwest Houston Chamber of Commerce named Victoria Osteen a Community Impact Award winner in 2006. Her activities include a regular feature on 89.3 KSBJ-Houston's afternoon drive show with Chuck Pryor and Amanda Carroll. She calls in every Wednesday to encourage and pray for children. She also supports the organizations Feed the Children and The Bridge, a shelter for battered women. Victoria and Joel were the featured cover story of the May/June 2006 issue of Texas Family magazine. She was also on the cover of Houston Pet Talk magazine, October 2006.

[edit] Book

Victoria will release her first book in Fall of 2008 which focuses on the influence of women. According to the church's website: "[t]his new series promises to be a resource for parents who are seeking to raise children in the knowledge of God's Word."[1]

[edit] Plane incident

On December 19, 2005, the Osteen family was asked to deplane a Continental Airlines flight at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston bound for Vail, Colorado due to an altercation between Victoria and a flight attendant. The FBI was notified, but no charges were filed.[2] The other passengers on the plane both corroborated and contradicted the statements by the flight attendants.[3] A letter from Victoria was posted on the Lakewood Church website after the incident. Victoria stated that "it was truly a minor misunderstanding and did not escalate into what you saw or read in the news," and that she chose to leave the plane voluntarily. [4] The official response from Lakewood Church claims: "The account of the event which has come to our attention is inaccurate and overblown. The misunderstanding was minor and was resolved when Victoria voluntarily removed herself from the situation." [5] Despite this claim by Lakewood, nine months later the FAA fined Victoria $3,000 USD, claiming she "failed to comply with a flight attendants' instructions."[6] Victoria later paid that fine but states it is not an admission of guilt.[7]

In September 2006, Sharon Brown, one of the flight attendants involved, filed suit against Victoria claiming she was "elbowed [...] in the left breast while trying to get into the cockpit". The lawsuit states she "suffered pain and bruising." Brown is seeking "unspecified damages for the medical care, emotional pain and mental anguish".[7] During the course of the lawsuit's discovery, Brown's attorney requested documentation on the Osteen's wealth which the Osteens objected to. This documentation was later turned over to a judge; it will reveal the net worth of the Osteens in the event of a judgement.[8]

After a delay due to a scheduling conflict, the case is scheduled to begin in March 2008.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lakewood Church website: About pastors Joel & Victoria (html). Lakewood Church (2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-12. “This new series promises to be a resource for parents who are seeking to raise children in the knowledge of God's Word.”
  2. ^ Willey, Jessica (2005-12-19). http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=3741989. KTRK Houston (ABC). Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
  3. ^ Miller, Scott N. (2005-12-20). Wife of Houston minister delays flight to Vail. Vail Daily. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
  4. ^ http://www.lakewood.cc/site/PageServer?pagename=letter_from_victoria
  5. ^ Statements from Continental Airlines and Lakewood Church. KTRK Houston (ABC) (2005-12-19). Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
  6. ^ FAA Fines Victoria Osteen $3,000. KRPC News 2 Houston (2006-09-29). Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
  7. ^ a b Lezon, Dale (2007-03-21). Motion in Osteen lawsuit to be considered Friday. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
  8. ^ Wrigley, Deborah (2007-04-23). Osteens resist making their personal wealth public. KTRK/HOUSTON. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
  9. ^ Connelly, Richard (2007-12-06). Verdict on the Victoria Osteen trial: Fun!. Houston Press. Retrieved on 2007-12-30.