Bishop Eddie Long’s Wife Says “Never Mind”

24 hours after filing for divorce from embattled Atlanta preacher Bishop Eddie Long, his long-suffering wife, Vanessa Long, has asked her attorneys to withdraw her divorce petition.

Mrs. Long blames “years of attacks in the media” for her abrupt decision to file for divorce yesterday (Dec. 1).

But in a new statement released this afternoon, Mrs. Long said,

“Upon prayerful reflection, I have reconsidered and plan to withdraw my petition for divorce from my husband, Bishop Eddie L. Long,” she said in an emailed statement bearing the New Birth logo. “I love my husband. I believe in him and admire his strength and courage.”

Yesterday, Mrs. Long appeared to give up on her marriage to the troubled leader of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church:

“After a great deal of deliberation and prayer, I have decided to terminate my marriage to Bishop Eddie L. Long. Accordingly, I authorized my attorneys to file for divorce on December 1, 2011.”

The divorce filing followed a tumultuous period for the Bishop, who, earlier this year, settled a sexual misconduct suit brought by 4 former Longfellow Youth Academy students, and a fifth man who was not included in the suit.