Joel Osteen's Wife Faces Trial Over In-Flight Argument

Osteen's Wife on Trial for Temper Tantrum

Can a crankiness land you in court? The case of Sandra Brown v. Victoria Osteen is the story of a chance encounter on an airplane that turned into a nasty legal battle.

Osteen is the wife of popular self-help author and television minister Joel Osteen, who heads the Lakewood Church, Houston's largest congregation. Brown is a flight attendant for Continental Airlines.

Osteen and her family were on Brown's flight from Houston to Vail, Colo., two years ago when, according to court documents, witnesses said Osteen became upset about a spill on the armrest of her first-class seat. She asked the flight attendants to clean up the spill and when they did not respond quickly enough, Osteen became confrontational, according to documents filed in the civil case that goes to trial today.

The lawsuit, filed in Harris County Civil Court in Houston, alleges that Victoria Osteen "shoved, grabbed and pulled the flight attendants." The suit goes on to claim that Osteen elbowed Brown, who was the flight manager, while allegedly trying to get into the cockpit of the airplane.

Brown's attorney, Reginald McKamie, contends that Osteen has a dark side that the trial will expose. His client, he said, was forced into civil court because Continental did not call police when the incident happened. Osteen and her family were asked to leave the flight; Osteen was later fined $3,000 by the Federal Aviation Administration for interfering with a flight crew member.

The attorney representing Victoria Osteen in the lawsuit is the legendary Rusty Hardin, who said his client's actions have been exaggerated and that he looked forward to having her side of the story told in court.

Hardin has represented embattled baseball pitcher Roger Clemens. He also famously won a case (on appeal) against the accounting giant Arthur Anderson over charges that the company had destroyed Enron documents.

But Hardin prevailed over Anna Nicole Smith, blocking her attempt to inherit all the vast fortune of J. Howard Marshall II, her late husband.

The portrait of an out-of-control Victoria Osteen painted by the lawsuit contrasts with the image of the perfectly groomed spouse who is seen helping her husband broadcast his message around the world each Sunday from the Lakewood Church. She was recently named co-pastor of the 60,000-member congregation. The Osteen's ministry reaches millions more through television, and through Joel Osteen's best-selling books.

Joel Osteen is reportedly expected to testify at the trial.

Brown's attorney promises surprises in court, but it will be up to a jury to decide whether Victoria Osteen was rude and pushy to the point of being legally liable.


Victoria Osteen stands beside her husband, Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen, during services at the church in 2005. She has been sued by a Continental Airlines flight attendant, who said Osteen pushed and shoved her after she failed to promptly clean up a spill on Osteen's first-class seat.

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5524479&page=1

Victoria Osteen.... targeted or guilty of assult?

Flight attendant says Osteen's wife acted like a diva



By JUAN A. LOZANO – 6 hours ago

HOUSTON (AP) — The wife of renowned evangelical pastor Joel Osteen acted like a combative diva when a small spill on her airline seat was not immediately cleaned up, a flight attendant who was also on the plane testified Thursday.

The testimony came during the civil trial of a lawsuit that accuses Victoria Osteen, the co-pastor a Houston megachurch, of assaulting a flight attendant before the start of a 2005 flight to Vail, Colo.

Continental Airlines flight attendant Sharon Brown alleges Victoria Osteen threw her against a bathroom door and elbowed her in the left breast during an angry outburst over some spilled liquid on her first-class seat. Brown claims Victoria Osteen became so upset she tried to get into the cockpit and had to be physically restrained.

Brown's co-worker, Maria Johnson, confirmed that in her testimony Thursday.

"She took Sharon by the shoulders and pushed her out of the way. Sharon stumbled," Johnson said

Rusty Hardin, Victoria Osteen's attorney, said earlier Thursday the lawsuit is simply a money grab.

"This is nothing more than an attempted extortion," Hardin told jurors during opening statements.

Johnson testified that before Victoria Osteen tried to get in the cockpit, she became increasingly agitated while she and Brown 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.

Johnson told jurors that Victoria Osteen kept saying: "This is ridiculous. I'm a first-class passenger."

Brown's attorney, Reginald McKamie, told jurors during his opening statement that his client was simply doing her job.

"Sharon was attacked by someone in the community who supposedly represents a higher degree of human decency," he said.

Brown's suit claims the flight attendants asked to have Victoria Osteen removed from the plane. Hardin told jurors Victoria Osteen and her family left voluntarily. The incident delayed the flight about 2 1/2 hours.

Hardin admitted that Victoria Osteen can be a "very excitable and expressive person," but that she was never out of control.

"Victoria Osteen never attacked her, never tried to get in the cockpit," Hardin said. "The aggressor and the person who was out of control, who flipped out, was Ms. Brown."

About 42,000 people flock to Lakewood Church every week to hear Victoria Osteen's husband Joel Osteen, whose weekly television address is broadcast nationally and internationally and whose books have been sold across the globe.

The Osteens were both expected to testify during the trial.

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

"They will say this is about money. But that is the only remedy a jury can offer," McKamie said.

McKamie said Brown, who had undergone reconstructive surgery before the incident on her breasts due to illness, was injured when she was hit on her chest. Brown also suffers from anxiety because of the incident and that her faith was affected, her attorney said. Brown is also suing Victoria Osteen for medical expenses for counseling.

But Hardin told jurors there is no evidence Brown sustained any injuries, including claims she now suffers from hemorrhoids.

The Federal Aviation Administration fined Victoria Osteen $3,000 for interfering with a crew member.

Hardin told jurors Victoria Osteen paid the FAA fine not because she was guilty but as a way to conclude the matter and avoid any embarrassment for her church.

A similar incident happened to Robert Shuller a few years back when he had an altercation with what was I believe a "gay" flight attendant. It's never about money is it? Yeah right.

I'm no fan of Shuller but this incident sounds very familiar.

WhooHoo! Justice! Osteens should countersue

Rusty Hardin

Rusty Hardn has defended Roger Clemens and the estate of Pierce Marshall, -- he was 67 years old when he passed away, the son of Anna Nicole Smith's late husband.