Joni Lamb, thepopular evangelist and co-founder of the Daystar Television Network, passed away on 7 May 2026. She was 65 years old, and passed away at her home in Bedford, Texas, after her health quickly took a turn for the worse.
While fans and viewers are grieving her loss, public focus is already shifting toward the complicated future of her personal estate. The estrangement involving her son Jonathan and his wife Suzy has cast a shadow over her $40 million (£29.6 million) estate.
Prior to her passing, the executive took steps to ensure her broadcasting empire would continue without interruption. She established a formal continuity plan alongside the board of directors for the Daystar Television Network.
The organisation released a statement confirming an executive leadership team is already managing operations. The network announced, 'Previously, (Joni Lamb) worked with the board to ensure an executive leadership team was in place so that the ministry would continue uninterrupted...We will keep broadcasting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, alongside you.'
While the company's future seems securely planned, the fate of her personal fortune remains uncertain. She leaves behind her second husband, Douglas Weiss, following the death of her first husband, Marcus Lamb.
She is survived by three children: Jonathan Lamb, Rebecca Lamb, and Rachel Lamb Brown. With clear divisions inside the family, the distribution of her estate has not been publicly confirmed.
Her assets are estimated at $40 million (£29.6 million), which includes a multi-state real estate portfolio valued over $11 million (£8.1 million). These financial details remain a private legal matter and have not been publicly disclosed.
The intense rift between the evangelist and her son stems directly from allegations regarding a child sexual abuse cover-up. Jonathan and Suzy allege that the matriarch failed to take appropriate action to protect their young daughter.
They claim she sided with a male family member who allegedly committed the abuse in order to protect the organisation's reputation. Jonathan said the family rift stemmed from his refusal to sign a non-disclosure agreement that he alleged was designed to keep the abuse claims quiet. According to his account, this refusal led directly to his demotion and eventual termination from his position at the network.
I still remember the video Joni Lamb dropped right after Jonathan & Suzy went public. The look in her eyes when she called Suzy “his wife” instead of “daughter-in-law” said everything.As the months went on, more broadcasters walked. It was brutal and the internet did what the…pic.twitter.com/u9kAu5DdJg
Source: International Business Times UK
