Robbed Gucci-Loving Pastor Challenges Comedian D.L. Hughley to Boxing Duel

The drama surrounding Brooklyn pastor Lamor Miller Whitehead extended onto celebrity social media this week. The church leader—who attracted headlines after being robbed of jewelry during a church service in late July—expressed unhappiness with an interview he had just done with comedian D.L. Hughley. On Wednesday, Whitehead complained about Hughley on Instagram and challenged him to a duel in the boxing ring. Read on to find out what happened, and Hughley's very public reaction. 

On his Instagram account, Whitehead said he had just been interviewed by Hughley. He called the encounter an "ambush, which is cool" and said, "You will not walk over me, you will not villanize me, and you will not disrespect me."

He then challenged the comic to a boxing match. "Meet me in the ring because y'all think y'all can walk over pastors," he said. "Let's set up a celebrity match. Me and you in the ring. Bishop Whitehead and D.L. Hughley. Because you run your mouth behind the mic, right, and y'all think these preachers are punks behind a pulpit."

After Whitehead accused Hughley of supporting the men who robbed him, he said, "I'm dropping the top on you, D.L. Let's get in the ring," dropping the top on his Rolls Royce convertible.

Whitehead, the bishop at Leaders of Tomorrow International Churches in Canarsie, Brooklyn, attracted headlines after he was robbed of jewelry valued at $1 million during a live-streamed church service on July 24. The former candidate for Brooklyn borough president in 2020 is a close associate of New York City Mayor Eric Adams. 

Whitehead was previously convicted of identity theft and served time in New York state prison. Recently, he has been accused of stealing $90,000 of life savings from a parishioner, and New Jersey and New York state courts have levied judgments against him for unpaid real estate debts. 

Whitehead later published a second video, accusing Hughley of coming after him like "a lil' girl…like a lil' chihuahua" on his radio show.

"But at the end of the day, he needs ratings, y'all," said Whitehead. "So, lil' man D.L. Hughley, I challenge you in a boxing ring, right, tough guy? I don't want to hear you don't box, because if your mouth is big, let's get in the ring. I ain't gonna hurt you. I'll knock you out in the name of Jesus."

Whitehead predicted he would knock out Hughley in the first round and offered to put a million dollars on the result. "Train for 90 days. I'll set it up," he said. "I'll put up a million. Me and my team will put up a million dollars right now."

Despite his trash-talking, Whitehead claimed he wasn't a "punk." "Yes, I'm a bishop," he said. "I got the word of the Lord in my mouth."

Hughley responded on Instagram, commenting on a post by gossip site the Shade Room. "HE SPITTIN' ALL OVER THE SCREEN," wrote Hughley. 

He added: "What 'Pastor' you know can 'PUT UP A MILLION DOLLARS RIGHT NOW'?? Reading from the book of Scamalations."

In response, Whitehead called Hughley a punk and reiterated his challenge to a boxing match. 

Hughley then shared an Instagram post of a series of TikTok videos criticizing Whitehead. They showed Whitehead wearing a large ruby ring during the robbery, then the next week during his sermon, during which he wore a suit printed with the Gucci logo. The TikToker suggests Whitehead staged the robbery as insurance fraud.

"Hey TD FAKES… I know JESUS rose after 3 days, but a RING?? C'mon bruhhh," Hughley wrote. "You need to save that MILLION for bail money. #TeamDL."

The insurance-fraud rumor has dogged the pastor since the incident, and he publicly denied it  during an interview with iHeart Radio personality Jazmyn Summers earlier this month. "If it was an insurance thing, right, why would I do it in my church?" he said. "Why not have it done when I'm driving or something? They could pull me over, and then boom."