Pastor Jamal Bryant is facing renewed backlash as LaToya Shawntee Odom publicly accuses the high-profile megachurch leader of failing to show up emotionally and financially for their son, John Karston Bryant.
In a new interview with Tasha K, Odom claimed Bryant has “never been” present in the nearly 11-year-old boy’s life, turning a long-running private family dispute into a fresh public conversation about fatherhood, accountability and the gap between a pastor’s public message and private allegations.
Odom also alleged that Bryant’s financial support has been minimal, saying, “The last payment I received was $96.”
Her most emotional claim centered on their son’s reported desire to meet his father. “And John loves him,” Odom said. “One day, he told me, he said, ‘Mommy, I love you, and I love my daddy.’”
Odom said the child was only 2 years old when he asked to see Bryant, prompting her to bring him to Atlanta. “John really believes his daddy. This is what he said at 2 [years old]. He said, ‘Mommy, I want to go see my daddy.’ So, I dressed him up at 2. He [Pastor Bryant] was in Atlanta. And I took him [son]. Do you know Jamal never touched him? Just looked at him. They had a staring contest,” she said.
Bryant has not publicly responded to Odom’s latest allegations. A spokesperson for the pastor reportedly did not immediately respond when contacted for comment.
The claims revive a controversy that dates back to 2016, when Odom publicly presented what she said was a DNA test showing a 99.9999% probability that Bryant was John’s father. At the time, she also alleged Bryant asked her to terminate the pregnancy, a claim he did not directly address publicly.
The renewed allegations come as Bryant remains one of the country’s most visible faith leaders. He serves as senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, and has recently been at the center of national conversations around Black spending power after helping lead the Target fast and boycott over DEI concerns.
That public role is part of what makes Odom’s accusations especially explosive. Bryant has often spoken about family, community responsibility and the importance of Black men being present. Odom’s claims now challenge that image, framing the issue not as church gossip, but as a question of whether public leadership should match private accountability.
For now, Bryant remains silent as Odom’s interview continues stirring conversation online.
