The parents of Christian singer Jeffrey Fenholt have sued their son for $12 million, saying he lied in interviews about being beaten as a child.
Janet and Robert Fenholt contend their son has made false claims of abuse in recent years on Christian TV shows, a World Wide Web site, in his autobiography and in Christian magazines.Fenholt, 45, knew his claims "were false, defamatory and libelous," said the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio. The suit demands that Fenholt stop making the claims and that any unsold copies of his 1994 autobiography, "From Darkness to Light," be destroyed.
The couple is also suing the book's publisher, Harrison House; Fenholt's record company; and Trinity Broadcasting Network, a Christian network on which Fenholt and his wife, Maureen, perform.
Neither Jeffrey Fenholt nor his attorney returned telephone calls seeking comment.