How did Ex-Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz's wife first find out about his affair with nanny?
Former Hillsong Church Pastor Carl Lentz became popular in 2020 after news of his infidelity surfaced. Carl and his wife, Laura, were both significant members of the megachurch until they were forced out because of the former's "moral failures." In one of their first interviews, the ex-pastor's wife spoke of the first time she learned of his affair with their nanny on a Zoom call.
According to People, Laura Lentz claimed that she had always suspected something was going on between Leona Kimes, the Lentz family's trusted nanny and also a member of the Hillsong Church, especially after she "found them in a compromising position" one night. Both denied that there was something going on and gaslit the mother-of-three for a while.
Laura mentioned that although Carl had previously mentioned to her in October 2020 that he had been unfaithful, she only learned about the nanny part during the Zoom call with the Church's board members and founder Brian Houston. They also found out about another woman named Ranin Karim via text messages shared between the two. Karim was the mistress.
FX's upcoming four-part documentary series, The Secrets of Hillsong, will chronicle the scandals surrounding former pastor Carl Lentz with exclusive interviews this Friday, May 19, 2023, at 10 pm ET.
Carl Lentz's wife Laura punched their family's nanny after finding them in a "compromising position" one night
In one of their first interviews since Carl Lentz's scandals first surfaced, the couple openly addressed the happenings with regards to the former Hillsong pastor's infidelities, who has taken complete responsibility for his actions. Carl and his wife, Laura Lentz, have taken part in the upcoming FX documentary as part of their healing process and continue to remain together after all that has happened.
A People Magazine report states that Laura Lentz claimed to have received the biggest shock of her life when she first found out that Carl was cheating on her. Laura recalled the moment during the interview, saying:
"It was Oct. 25 [2020], I remember that day. Carl was like, 'Hey, can I talk to you for a second?' As soon as he shut the door…my heart just dropped. He basically said, 'I've been unfaithful to you.'"
The revelation was made after the Hillsong leadership was informed about "incriminating text messages" shared between Carl Lentz and a woman named Ranin Karim, who was then identified as his mistress.
Then, the board members and founder Brian Houston questioned Carl about his relationship with the Lentz family's nanny, Leona Kimes, who was also a member of the church. Until then, Laura wasn't aware of his affair with their family's nanny, although she had suspected that something was going on after she found them in a "compromising position" one night.
Laura Lentz said:
"I ran into the room and I shoved Carl and hit him and then I jumped on top of her and I punched her."
She then claimed to have "definitely freaked out" at that moment, but stated that they denied and "never talked about it again." She reportedly said in the interview:
"We were her pastors, we were her leaders; she was on staff. It got really messy. I was pretty much gaslit by both of them for quite a while. Instead of talking about it again, I would just stuff it down. I was in a really tormented place mentally."
The nanny allegedly accused pastor Carl Lentz of being s*xually and emotionally abusive after their relationship surfaced
After the Zoom call, Carl Lentz was fired from the Hillsong Church, and within a few months, Leona Kimes accused the pastor of being s*xually and emotionally abusive. However, she did not mention the person by name, and Carl denied all allegations.
He took responsibility for "allowing an inappropriate relationship to develop in my house with someone that worked for us" but vehemently denied "any notion of abuse [that] is categorically false." He said that "there were mutual adult decisions made by two people who lied profusely" especially to his wife. He said that the relationship with Kimes was an issue because he was the boss while she was an employee.
In their effort to put the past behind them, Carl and Laura Lentz remained together after their exit from Hillsong, and they dealt with the repercussions of the husband's dishonesty together. The couple recently celebrated their 20th anniversary.
Learn more about the scandals of former celebrity pastor Carl Lentz on FX's upcoming documentary series this Friday.