Marvin Sapp’s new wife, La’Boris Cole, is firmly rejecting online criticism of the couple’s high-profile wedding, insisting that no church funds were used to pay for the celebration.
Cole addressed the controversy Sunday as she was formally introduced as first lady at The Chosen Vessel Church in Fort Worth, Texas, where Sapp serves as pastor. Speaking before the congregation on Easter Sunday, she defended her husband against accusations that their March wedding — which drew attention for its helicopter entrance, ballerina and lavish floral displays — had been funded by church tithes and offerings.
“Despite what the haters on the internet say about you, you are an integral man. You don’t take or rob the church. The church didn’t pay for the wedding,” Cole said, offering a passionate rebuke to critics. She also made clear that she personally paid for one of the wedding’s most talked-about elements. “I bought the helicopter. He didn’t buy the helicopter,” she declared.
Her remarks come after months of heightened public scrutiny surrounding Sapp, the Grammy-nominated gospel singer best known for “Never Would Have Made It.” Over the past year, some critics have revisited his fundraising methods, especially after a widely discussed moment at a Christian conference when he instructed ushers to close the doors until a financial goal was met. That controversy helped fuel online suspicion when clips and photos from the wedding began circulating on social media.
Some online commentators joked that “the doors must have been locked again,” suggesting the couple’s celebration had been financed through aggressive church fundraising. But Cole insisted those claims are false and rooted in assumptions about their financial lives.
She told the congregation that both she and Sapp have income sources outside the church and do not rely on ministry funds for personal luxuries. A licensed professional counselor, Cole said God has blessed her with “multiple streams of income,” adding that Sapp also has earnings beyond his pastoral role. Her message was not only a defense of their finances, but also a testimony of God’s provision.
“I’m not going to serve you and your people, and I’m broke,” she said, arguing that her life should reflect the goodness and faithfulness of God. In her view, being visibly blessed does not contradict Christian service — it can be part of the witness.
Sapp and Cole were married on March 20 in a private ceremony at The Chosen Vessel Church after a courtship that began in 2024. In a previous interview, Sapp explained that they chose the first day of spring because it symbolized a new season in their lives. The couple kept their relationship largely private, but said they were intentional from the beginning about pursuing marriage with spiritual clarity and purpose.
For supporters, Cole’s forceful response was a public stand for her husband and their new union. For critics, it may do little to quiet lingering questions. But as the couple begins married life in the public eye, Cole made one point unmistakably clear: they want the church to know their wedding was a personal celebration, not a ministry expense.