*A federal jury in Detroit has awarded Bishop George Bloomer $62.2 million in a racial discrimination lawsuit involving The Word Network and its owner, Kevin Adell.
The verdict followed a dispute over a racially offensive image depicting Adell, who is white, as a pimp surrounded by Black ministers appearing on his Christian television network.
Bloomer accused Adell of mocking him, dismissing his objections and threatening his television airtime.
After a five-day trial, jurors sided with Bloomer in a case involving racial discrimination, a hostile work environment and retaliation.
But nine days after the October 14 verdict, Adell filed for personal bankruptcy protection, raising questions about whether Bloomer will collect his award.
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A Racist Image Sparks a Workplace Dispute
The controversy began in September 2019, when Adell shared a doctored image showing himself in a white fur coat alongside four Black preachers, including Bloomer.
According to court records, Bloomer immediately objected.
“That’s not funny at all,” Bloomer responded in a text message.
He explained that the image carried racist connotations and demanded that Adell stop circulating it.
Court documents also describe Adell comparing Bloomer to Tattoo, a character from “Fantasy Island.”
Bloomer testified that he repeatedly warned Adell the jokes were offensive. Two Black network employees also described Adell’s treatment of Bloomer as racist or racially insensitive.
Bishop George Bloomer Alleges Retaliation
Bloomer founded Bethel Family Worship Center in Durham, North Carolina, and appeared on The Word Network for years.
He hosted “Rejoice in the Word” and “The First Word,” among other programs.
According to the lawsuit, Adell threatened to reduce Bloomer’s airtime after the bishop challenged his behavior.
Bloomer left the network in 2019, although the two men disputed the circumstances.
Adell maintained that Bloomer wanted additional airtime and left voluntarily. He also denied creating the offensive image, saying he merely shared it.
Federal Jury Awards Bishop $62.2 Million
Bloomer filed suit in October 2022 against Adell and network-related companies.
The case involved racial discrimination, harassment and retaliation allegations, along with financial disputes over religious product commissions.
U.S. District Judge Susan K. DeClercq presided over the trial.
On October 14, 2026, jurors returned a $62.2 million verdict in Bloomer’s favor.
“Bishop Bloomer showed extraordinary courage, dignity and perseverance throughout this fight,” said Morgan & Morgan founder John Morgan and attorneys Michael Hanna and Keith Mitnik in a statement.
The attorneys added: “We are grateful that Bishop Bloomer’s voice was heard.”
The verdict dealt a major legal setback to Adell and The Word Network, which describes itself as the world’s largest African American religious television network.
Kevin Adell’s Bankruptcy Complicates Payout
On October 23, Adell filed for personal Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Florida. The filing was his own, not an identified bankruptcy filing by The Word Network.
As EURweb’s Ny MaGee reported on October 27, the filing followed the massive jury award.
According to The Detroit News, Adell listed 20 major creditors with combined claims exceeding $101.8 million, including Bloomer.
The filing also identified substantial federal tax debts.
Chapter 11 bankruptcy generally allows debtors to reorganize their finances while temporarily stopping many collection efforts.
However, bankruptcy does not automatically erase Bloomer’s judgment. Whether the award can be collected or discharged depends on further legal proceedings.
Attorney Wade Fink told The Detroit News that bankruptcy can create collection problems, although certain judgments may qualify for exceptions to discharge.
That leaves Bloomer facing a difficult reality: Winning $62.2 million in federal court and actually collecting it are two very different things.
The jury has spoken. Now the bankruptcy proceedings could help determine how much of that victory Bloomer ultimately receives.
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