The church marketed itself as both a lifestyle and a brand, and front row seats reserved for celebrities created a culture of exclusivity and coolness. Lentz was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, showed up on Kourtney Kardashian’s Instagram, and grew his own Instagram following to over 700,000 (it’s now at 616,000). (The two were very close: Bieber stayed with Lentz for a period of time and TMZ claimed Bieber saw him as “a second father.”) Lentz’s appearance - including tattoos, a Saint Laurent leather jacket, and a Rolex - made Christianity feel modern, and his sermons sounded more like self-help talks than religious lectures.
The church built up a cult-like following, particularly after Bieber announced that he was “rededicating his life to Christ” because of Lentz in 2017. In 2009, Joel pitched the idea of him and Lentz opening a Hillsong branch in New York together, which they did in 2010. Lentz was known for being a “brash and discursive presence” in class, and he and Joel bonded over their love of sports and partying Lentz also grew close to Brian after interning for him. Per Vanity Fair, Lentz grew up in Virginia Beach and met Hillsong founder Brian Houston while attending Australia’s Hillsong College, where he befriended Houston’s son Joel. (A legal representative for Lentz and his wife Laura said that the Lentzs vehemently deny her allegations.) Congregants alleged Lentz was having several affairs, and on May 31, 2021, Lentz’s former nanny accused him of sexual abuse, manipulation, and bullying. 4, 2020, Lentz was fired from Hillsong for “leadership issues and breaches of trust,” along with “moral failures” that the church said “would not be appropriate” to go into detail about.
At the center of the docuseries is Pastor Carl Lentz, the leader of the New York City branch of the church who gained public attention after befriending multiple famous congregants. Discovery+ is wading into the controversy surrounding the church beloved by celebrities like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez with Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed.
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