Bryant and his wife, a former model, are known for their flashy lifestyle, which includes a Bentley and a multimillion-dollar Canton waterfront property. Their lifestyle has attracted criticism from those who say the church is more about his business enterprises and building wealth than religion. Her original divorce complaint stated that he earned more than $350,000 a year.
He is seeking a "limited divorce," while his wife has requested an "absolute divorce," according to papers filed in Baltimore Circuit Court.
A limited divorce is a voluntary legal separation required in Maryland for a year before most absolute divorces.
Absolute divorces, however, are allowed immediately under certain circumstances, such as adultery and cruelty.
In Gizelle Bryant's filing last month, she accuses her husband of adultery, cruel treatment and "excessively vicious conduct" that caused "reasonable apprehension of bodily suffering so as to render cohabitation unsafe."
In court papers, she says her husband's "persistent pattern of conduct was so cruel as to render" her "incapable of properly discharging her marital duties."
Bryant's conduct, her complaint says, "was his final and deliberate act and was calculated to, and did, seriously impair" her "health and permanently destroy her happiness."
In his filing, Bryant says he and his wife were "mutually and voluntarily separated" and that "there is no hope for reconciliation."
They have a 3-year-old and 1-year-old twins.
Bryant also has two children from before his marriage. He acknowledged one, a 7-year-old daughter, for the first time last year from the pulpit after a court battle over child support payments surfaced and became a topic of speculation.
Richardson said that if it's determined that Bryant's conduct needs to be reviewed, he will be referred to one of the conference's committees.
With regard to divorce, Richardson said the church encourages couples to work out their differences through counseling or other remedies. "On the other hand, we would not encourage couples to stay in relationships that are abusive or when a person is having struggles over matters pertaining to adultery," he said.
Samuels and others said Bryant's ability to connect with his congregation - a majority of whom are young people and single mothers - has made him a personable and compelling pastor.
