YouTube fails to take down channel spreading fake news about Joyce Meyer, Christian leaders for ad revenue
Case Files America, an obscure YouTube channel, published a video titled, “What They Found Hidden Inside Joyce Meyer’s Study Left Everyone Speechless.” The thumbnail for the video, published Oct. 3, features an AI-generated picture of commentator Tucker Carlson crying and reports in large black capital letters “15 DEAD WOMEN FOUND.”
The clickbait video reports, “Rumors from sources state that it all started when investigators had originally entered Joyce Meyer’s home for a routine inspection tied to financial transparency.”
The video alleges that a secret room found in Meyer’s home contained a concealed archive of documents but doesn’t mention any dead bodies found.
As if operating by a similar script and with the assistance of AI, on Oct. 23, Case Files America published a separate video headlined, “What Was Found Hidden Inside TONY EVAN’S Mansion Shocked Everyone.” The video narrator claimed that Evans “is now at the center of whispers that something hidden inside his home shocked everyone who ever trusted him.” Again, no explanation for what was allegedly “hidden.”
The corrupt YouTube channel also published a video titled, “What They Found Inside Jimmy Swaggart’s Private Study Shocked Everyone.”
These videos are innuendo pretending to be news commentary. Before a viewer watches the Case Files America videos, YouTube shows pre-roll video ads. There’s money to be made from fake news.
In 2022, NewsGuard reported, " ... the misinformation industry is booming — with $2.6 billion in estimated advertising revenue being sent to publishers ... of false news."
Case Files America has also published false videos about televangelists and pastors Benny Hinn, T.D. Jakes, Greg Laurie and Joel Osteen, implying that all four men are serving prison sentences.
A separate Case File America video spreads disinformation about property owned by the late Joni Lamb, co-founder of Daystar Television Network.
The video description claims, “Joni Lamb and Doug Weiss were married in June 2023. They bought a $2.9 million beach condo in Florida together. But in March 2026 — just eight weeks before Joni Lamb died — she signed a quiet legal document that removed Doug Weiss from that property entirely.”
What really happened: A quitclaim deed transferred Joni Lamb’s stake in ownership to the Joni Lamb Revocable Trust. Weiss retains his ownership of the condo until it is sold. The beach condo in Miramar Beach is currently listed for $3.1 million.
As part of its community guidelines, YouTube has published policy pages prohibiting medical misinformation and election misinformation but lacks clear guidance regarding other means of misinformation or disinformation such as false death reports.
Britannica explains, “Misinformation is the inadvertent spread of false information without intent to harm, while disinformation is false information designed to mislead others and is deliberately spread with the intent to confuse fact and fiction.”
The creator of Case Files America is unknown, as there is no company or trademark for that name.
To successfully sue Case Files America for libel, Meyer, Osteen or another victim would need to obtain a court order requiring Google to reveal the identity of the channel's creator.
In addition to advertising on YouTube, Google’s parent company Alphabet generates revenue from running ads on third-party websites through its own DoubleClick advertising company.
One of the infamous fake news websites using DoubleClick is Newsstation2.com, which on Oct. 9, 2024, falsely reported that evangelist Andrew Wommack was killed in a plane crash.
On the following day, Newsstation2 falsely reported, “Tragedy Strikes the World: Sid Roth, Renowned Author and Evangelist, Dies in Fatal Car Crash.”
Then on Oct. 14, 2024, Newsstation2 struck again, reporting, “In a stunning and unexpected development, renowned evangelical preacher Andrew Wommack, known for his global ministry and faith-based teachings, has reportedly ended his 52-year marriage to his wife, Jamie Wommack.”
After the fake article about Wommack’s death was published, Andrew Wommack Ministries responded with apress releasecombatting the disinformation. A ministry spokesperson was quoted, “No aspect of the story is accurate. Andrew Wommack was not in an aircraft accident and is completely safe. We will not speculate as to the motivation of this false report.”
And the practice of publishing false death announcements is so common it has acquired a name: obituary piracy.
Other well-known religious leaders have been targets of Newsstation2 disinformation.
In November 2024, Newsstation2 falsely published “Breaking News: Cathy Duplantis, Wife of Renowned Pastor Jesse Duplantis, Passes Away” and “Pastor Dr. David Jeremiah sheds tears as he bids farewell to his beloved wife during the memorial service.”
Other websites have reported different dates for Jeremiah’s wife’s death. Celebzliving.com reported inaccurately that Donna Jeremiah “passed away in February 2025 after a prolonged illness …”
Perhaps in response to criticism, Newstation2 has moved away from publishing fraudulent articles about religious figures. Most of the website’s newer fake articles feature athletes.
Websites that estimate the net worth of celebrities are another source of questionable reporting that could be classified as misinformation at best. It's a common practice for these websites to over-estimate the wealth accumulated by televangelists.
Numerous estimates of Kenneth Copeland’s wealth are not grounded in reality. Finance Monthly “estimates” Copeland to be worth $450 million. Other estimates from less reputable websites are higher: $750 million to $760 million.
If Copeland was that wealthy, he could easily fund Eagle Mountain International Church (better known as Kenneth Copeland Ministries) and there would be no need to slash spending.
As the returning CEO of Copeland’s church, John Copeland has mandated spending cuts and in 2025 the church sold its Cessna Citation X jet but still retains a Gulfstream G-V jet it acquired from Hollywood actor Tyler Perry.
Another website massively inflating the net worth of televangelists is WealthCeleb.com, which falsely reported, “As of 2024, Robert Tilton net worth is estimated to be around $500 million.”
For comparison, WealthCeleb claimed that televangelist Joel Osteen is worth one-fifth of Tilton’s wealth: “As of 2024, Joel Osteen net worth around $100 million.”
Like most net worth estimating websites, WealthCeleb does not disclose how its estimates are compiled.
Meanwhile, CelebsMoney.com extremely underestimates the net worth of religious leaders. A simple property search would prove this statement is inaccurate: “As of 2026, David Cerullo’s net worth is $100,000 – $1M.”
David Cerullo, president of the Inspirational Network, owns millions of dollars’ worth of real estate and his salary is reportedly one of the highest for ministry executives in the U.S. In 2024, Cerullo earned $5 million from the Inspirational Network and related organizations. He has received more than $60 million in compensation since 2008.
Disinformation creates a media environment where truth is questioned and falsehoods are believed. The producers of disinformation need to be held accountable for the seeds of destruction they sow.
Trinity Foundation contacted Google’s press office and David Jeremiah’s Turning Point for comment but received no response.
This article was originally published at Trinity Foundation
Trinity Foundation is a Dallas, Texas-based nonprofit whistleblower organization focused on exposing waste and fraud in the church and ministry world. Informants help us expose religious corruption. We promote nonprofit financial transparency, accountability and donor responsibility.
