Televangelist, author, and business woman, Juanita Bynum was assaulted by her preacher estranged husband Thomas Weeks in the parking lot of an Atlanta hotel Wed morning at 4am. This story came across my desk this morning as the #1 story on Google Trends this morning.

The popularity of this story impacted me as I read about it. I'd never even heard of Juanita Bynum before today, yet this story has topped the search engine charts so quickly that here I am writing about it, and I am struck by the effectiveness of our new Internet society of citizen journalists and online media at responding to news and distributing that news. 

It is also amazing to me that in this world of rapid dissemination of news and ever-heightening interest in celebrity news, someone like Thomas Weeks would have the lack of self control to attack his estranged wife, a noted celebrity, especially in such a public place. As far as I know, Weeks has warrants issued for his arrest and he is still at large.

Apparently, Bynum and Weeks were attempting to have a reconciliatory meeting at the Renaissance Concourse Hotel in Atlanta, when this crime occurred in the parking lot at 4am as they were leaving the hotel. By the way, alert to all celebrities: nothing good ever happens after midnight! At least, that's what my youth leaders always told me.

Anyway, now comes the business damage control. I don't think this will negatively affect Juanita Bynum, her ministry, or her business interests. She has had a tough life, and this is an opportunity to continue to prove her ability to overcome adversity and come through an even better, more experienced person. This is certainly the angle she should take from a business PR perspective. People can relate with that, and thus she can connect to still more people.