The controversy around South Carolina Pastor John-Paul Miller continues. Authorities found his late wife Mica Miller dead from an apparent suicide in late April.
Since then, rumors and allegations have swirled around the pastor. Prior to her death, Mica accused John-Paul of grooming her while she worked at the church. She allegedly knew him since she was a teen. Now, according to an affidavit acquired by Daily Mail, the pastor's ex-wife accused him of sleeping with underage girls and prostitutes.
This report comes from 2017 amid the fallout of their marriage, according to the outlet. Alison and John-Paul were in court over alimony payments. "Our marriage and my husband's career were less than stable at the time, because at the time my husband's affair was discovered, he had previously admitted to both me and our congregation, that he had an addiction to prostitution," Alison wrote.
Mica had been the couples' babysitter before her affair with John-Paul. "Our marriage and my husband's career were less than stable at the time, because at the time my husband's affair was discovered, he had previously admitted to both me and our congregation, that he had an addiction to prostitution," Alison wrote in the affidavit. "He had also confessed to me and other staff members of the church that he had sexual encounters with young females from the church, who were under the age of sixteen. When the defendant's affair was discovered, the church leaders demanded that the defendant seek counseling for sexual addiction. When he refused, the majority of our church left the congregation."
Alison also discussed the affair that John-Paul and Mica had. She wrote, "Our separation was a result of my discovering that the defendant was having an affair with the praise and worship leader in our church, who was also the weekly babysitter of our four children, and the wife of his best friend. His marital misconduct not only destroyed my marriage, but also caused me to lose my church family and income, along with severely damaging the relationship between the defendant and our children."
John-Paul Miller's Legal Team Speaks Out
In a statement, John-Paul's attorney called rumors of grooming false. They also threatened legal action against anyone alleging abuse. However, controversy has continued online. "Following the untimely death of Mica Miller, unfounded rumors and false accusations began circulating on social media and in various media outlets, suggesting Pastor Miller's involvement in her demise," attorney Russell B. Long said in a news release. "This created a buzz, causing local and national media outlets to be proliferating these falsehoods, on a mammoth proportion. Our client refutes any report that suggests he ever abused his wife."
They continued, "It has come to light that Mica Miller struggled with mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder, which, when not properly managed, led to paranoid episodes and self-destructive behavior. Again, Mica suffered from mental illness and some reports made by her in the recent past are nonsensical. This unfortunate reality underscores the importance of destigmatizing mental health issues and ensuring those affected receive appropriate support and treatment."
The lawyers pointed out that authorities have ruled Mica's death a sucide. They wrote, "This finding completely exonerates Pastor Miller of any wrongdoing. These baseless claimes and false reporting have caused immense disress and harm to Pastor Miller and his family and needs to stop immediately."
