Texas-based pastor TD Jakes suffered a life-threatening health incident during a sermon on stage on Nov. 23. Now, Jakes is sharing what exactly happened to him.
In a viral video, the incident occurred while Jakes, 67, was delivering his sermon and was heard praying, “Oh Lord, my strength, my redeemer, let him go in peace.”
Shortly after, he fell silent, lowered the microphone, and began trembling. Several people rushed to the stage to help as the video ended.
Here’s what Jakes said about this current health status.
TD Jakes: ‘I didn’t really realize what was happening to me onstage.’
During an interview on TODAY on March 26, Jakes said that he suffered a heart attack on stage.
“I didn’t really realize what was happening to me onstage until I got to the hospital in an ambulance and fussing that it happened onstage, by the way, because I didn’t want it to happen, and the doctor leaned over my ear and said, ‘You had a massive heart attack,'” Jakes said.
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“The reason I didn’t realize it was because I had none of the symptoms that they say,” he continued. “No numbness, no sharp pain, no anything. I just kind of drifted off to sleep. I didn’t know what it was, but I almost died.”
Jakes returned to the pulpit, acknowledging that the incident “could have been fatal.” He shared that his focus had been on recovering from what was later revealed to be heart surgery. He has resumed his duties and regularly preaches at The Potter’s House.
Who is TD Jakes?
In 1996, Jakes established The Potter’s House, a non-denominational Pentecostal megachurch. Today, it boasts over 30,000 members and has grown to include multiple campuses throughout North Texas.
In March 2024, Jakes was mentioned in a lawsuit — filed by music producer for Combs’ Bad Boy records Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones — that associates him with Sean “P. Diddy” Combs.
The lawsuit states that Jones has “irrefutable evidence” of “Mr. Combs detailing how he planned to leverage his relationship with Bishop T.D. Jakes to soften the impact on his public image of Cassie Ventura’s lawsuit.”
According to The Dallas Morning News, in December 2023, Jakes was accused of participating in sex parties hosted by Combs in unverified reports on social media. Jakes responded to the reports in a Christmas Eve service at The Potter’s House.
“The worst that could happen, if everything was true, all I got to do is repent sincerely, from my heart,” he said. “There’s enough power in the blood to cover all kinds of sin. I don’t care what it is, the blood would fix it,” Jakes said. “But I ain’t got to repent about this.”
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas megachurch pastor TD Jakes confirms 2024 health scare was ‘massive heart attack’
Reporting by Marley Malenfant, USA TODAY NETWORK / Austin American-Statesman
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
