With her husband, they created one of the largest Christian-themed non-secular television networks in the world. In late 2021, the co-founder and President, Marcus Lamb, died of the COVID-19 coronavirus at the age of 64. Then came an ugly family feud of sorts — one that involved allegations of abuse from the founder’s son, who in fall 2024 was ousted from the organization as a result of his claims.
Now, the matriarch of the Lamb family is being mourned, as Joni Lamb, who assumed the role of President of Daystar Television Network from her late husband, has died.
Lamb, who was 65, passed on Thursday (5/7), and had been dealing with what Daystar calls “serious health matters” ahead of a recent back injury, which “compounded those challenges and led to a more serious medical situation than anyone had anticipated.”
Her condition worsened in the last few days, Daystar notes.
Joni Lamb founded Daystar Television Network alongside Marcus Lamb in 1993. Under her leadership, Daystar grew into one of the largest Christian television networks in the world, reaching viewers in nearly every country through satellite, cable, streaming, and digital platforms. She spent nearly four decades on-air and behind the scenes, building a ministry that brought the Gospel into millions of homes.
“Joni’s love for the Lord and for the people we serve shaped this ministry from the beginning,” said the Daystar Board of Directors. “We grieve her loss, and we are grateful for the legacy of faith she leaves behind.”
The family has asked for prayers and for privacy at this time.
Information about a memorial service will be shared by the family at the appropriate time.
Daystar’s mission does not change today. Previously, Lamb worked with the board to ensure an executive leadership team was in place so that the ministry would continue uninterrupted. Programming will proceed as scheduled, with on-air tributes to follow in the coming days.
How family members will mourn the passing of Joni Lamb could be the subject of gossip, given the high-profile drama-worthy storyline that received outsized attention in media across North Texas in late November 2024.
Matters started to unfold on November 15, 2024, when a reporter formerly associated with Moody Radio contacted Daystar regarding allegations made by Jonathan Lamb, the son of Marcus and Joni Lamb. A day later, Jonathan Lamb was fired, after the reporter — Julie Roys — contacted Daystar for comment. On November 20, 2024, Jonathan Lamb and his wife, Suzy, took to Instagram in response to the concerns of their online followers about how they are doing. Jonathan Lamb’s reply? “We no longer work at Daystar. A lot has been going on over the last couple of years that we just couldn’t talk about.”
With Suzy Lamb nodding affirmatively, her husband noted that all of their evidence had been handed over to “multiple reporters,” including the police department. Suzy Lamb then opened up, sharing that “some scary things” happened to her and her husband — including being followed, having private investigators monitor their every move, and “intimidation threats.” She added, “We felt that we had no other option but to reach out to a journalist.”
Jonathan and Suzy Lamb made the Instagram post from an “undisclosed location,” as they did not feel safe at their home.
Jonathan and Suzy Lamb subsequently took the story to full tilt, posting on TikTok and on Instagram of how, while at Daystar, Jonathan and Suzy Lamb “were spiritually abused” by Joni Lamb, and “close allies” including XO Marriage founder Jimmy Evans. Evans, in a conversation with Jonathan Lamb, told him that his mother “was the voice of God” at Daystar – something Jonathan challenged Evans on.
Joni Lamb had remarried after Marcus Lamb’s November 30, 2021, passing from COVID-19, and wed sex therapist Doug Weiss. Jonathan and Suzy Lamb objected to the union, consummated on June 10, 2023, on the grounds that Weiss lacked biblical grounds for divorcing his previous wife. A comment from a listener praising the marriage was rejected by Jonathan and Suzy Lamb, and they refused to put it on the air.
Then, on November 16, 2023, a Daystar TV board meeting brought Jonathan Lamb a dilemma: sign an NDA or be removed from the board and from his role as a Vice President. He did not sign the non-disclosure agreement, a move Daystar claims made him “an employee” and nothing more. Audio of this meeting was disclosed on social media five days ago by Roys.
Daystar responded to the salacious allegations, as the network wrote in a statement to Roys that an internal investigation “concluded with no wrongdoing found nor evidence provided that corroborated the allegation.” Additionally, a Daystar spokesperson told Roys in a written note, “There is clearly a misunderstanding of what transpired, and the facts are quite different than what appears to have been reported to you. We simply do not support [Jonathan and Suzy’s] false allegations and are saddened by the continued relational incongruity between Jonathan and Suzy and the rest of their family.”
Since 2025, it has largely been business as usual for Daystar, owned by Word of God Fellowship Inc., the formal licensee of Daystar-aligned broadcast televisions stations in the U.S. Its FCC attorney is Mark Denbo of Smithwick & Belendiuk.
