Everything To Know About Ranin Karim, The Woman Who Had An Affair With Fired Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz
Her bombshell interview is truly something.
YouTube It was the firing heard ‘round the world.
Disgraced pastor Carl Lentz made headlines everywhere after Hillsong Church, Lentz’s former workplace and place of worship, fired him, citing “ongoing discussions in relation to leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.”
Many people weren’t surprised to learn that Lentz had actually committed adultery and cheated on his wife, Laura Lentz — something he confessed to in a long-winded Instagram post shortly after news of his firing broke.
For weeks, the woman at the center of the affair remained shrouded in mystery, and rumors about who it could be made the rounds online.
Now, the identity of the woman involved with Lentz has come to light.
Who is Ranin Karim, the woman who had an affair with Carl Lentz?
Read on to find out everything you need to know about Ranin Karim — including details of her and Lentz’s 5-month long affair.
What does Ranin Karim do for a living?
Ranin Karim is a 34-year-old jewelry designer who moved to New York City from Palestine over a decade ago.
She runs her own fashion company called Wahidon, which means “one” in Arabic.
According to her company's About page, "Wahidon signifies growth from the relationships we as humans experience between the carnal world and the spiritual word. The two realms are often seen as worlds apart but with Wahidon those worlds collide. The brand embodies the duality of being physically present but also maintaining a sense of spirituality."
She doesn’t want to be in the limelight.
In an interview, a childhood friend of Karim’s said, “People get intimidated by her, her beauty.”
“She’s one of a kind, she’s not trying to be a model, not trying to be an actress, she’s not trying to get rich, she’s just crazy-beautiful,” he added. “She’s a good person, very honest.”
Lentz reportedly also sent her messages about her beauty, inside and out.
“You are spectacular. Your visible beauty is not really close to how special, how beautiful your soul is...” one of his text messages allegedly read.
She's a pretty private person.
Her Instagram account, which only has a little more than 6,000 followers, is set to private.
Lentz and Karim would drink tequila together when they saw each other.
“He would come to my apartment three times a week with Tequila in his backpack so people wouldn't see him with it in the street,” she said.
“He said the sex we had was the best he's ever had in his life and he couldn't stop being with me,” she added.
Ranin Karim tried to break it off with Carl Lentz in Sept.
Although he had told her he was married shortly after they first met, the pair eventually started an affair that lasted for about 5 months.
“I know what I got myself into, but at the same time I wanted to do the right thing and walk, walk away,” she said. “I am not a monster.”
“I really wish I never met him,” she added. “I told him that many times because it was just, just like, what’s the point?”
Olivia Jakiel is an editor and writer who covers celebrity and entertainment news. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her zingers on Twitter.