Victoria Osteen

{{BLP sources|date=October 2020}}
{{short description|American pastor, author}}
{{Infobox person
| image= Victoria Osteen (cropped).jpg
| caption =Victoria Osteen speaking at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas in 2014
| name = Victoria Osteen
| birth_name=Victoria Iloff
| birth_date={{Birth date and age|1961|03|28}} 
| birth_place=[[Huntsville, Alabama]]
| nationality=American
| alma mater=[[University of Houston]]
| spouse={{marriage|[[Joel Osteen]]|1987}}
| children=2
| occupation=Pastor, author
| 
}}
'''Victoria Osteen''' (née '''Iloff'''; born March 28, 1961) is an American author and the co-pastor of [[Lakewood Church]] in [[Houston, Texas]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=About Lakewood Church|url=https://www.lakewoodchurch.com/about|access-date=2021-12-14|website=www.lakewoodchurch.com|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214121257/https://www.lakewoodchurch.com/about|url-status=live}}</ref> She is the wife of [[Joel Osteen]] and the daughter-in-law of [[John Osteen]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=About Victoria Osteen|url=https://www.joelosteen.com/our-ministry/about-victoria|access-date=2021-12-14|website=Joel Osteen Ministries|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214121247/https://www.joelosteen.com/our-ministry/about-victoria|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Early life and family ==
Victoria Iloff was born on March 28, 1961, in [[Huntsville, Alabama]]. She lived near [[Marshall Space Flight Center]] where her father, Donald Iloff – a mathematician with [[General Electric]] – was a member of GE’s [[Saturn rocket]] project team led by German rocket scientist [[Wernher von Braun]].<ref name="thebiography.org">{{Cite web|date=2021-08-30|title=The Untold Truth about Joel Osteen's Wife, Victoria Osteen|url=https://thebiography.org/the-untold-truth-about-joel-osteens-wife-victoria-osteen/|access-date=2021-12-14|website=The Biography|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-12-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214121725/https://thebiography.org/the-untold-truth-about-joel-osteens-wife-victoria-osteen/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1963, at the age of two, Osteen moved with her family to Houston, Texas, when her father took a position with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ([[NASA]]).<ref name="thebiography.org"/> She grew up in a southeastern suburb of Houston, near the [[Manned Spacecraft Center]] (now known as the Johnson Space Center).

Growing up, Osteen attended a nearby [[Churches of Christ|Church of Christ]], a relatively conservative church, where her mother, Georgine Iloff, taught [[Sunday school]] and her father served as a [[deacon]]. Osteen attended (though did not graduate from) the [[University of Houston]] where she studied [[psychology]] while working in her mother’s jewelry business. It was while working in the jewelry store that she met Joel Osteen in 1985 when he came in to buy a new watch battery.

== Career ==
Osteen founded the Lakewood Church Women’s Ministry in 2003, where she currently serves as co-pastor. Her part of the service can be seen on a one-hour program broadcast on the [[Daystar Television Network]] and through a live [[Internet]] feed.

Her other activities include a regular feature on Houston radio station 89.3 [[KSBJ]]. She also supports the organizations [[Feed the Children]] and The Bridge, a shelter for battered women.<ref>[http://www.htexas.com/feature.cfm?Story=604 H magazine article] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008034958/http://www.htexas.com/feature.cfm?Story=604 |date=October 8, 2007 }}</ref>

She has been accused of promoting self-interested materialistic idolatry contrary to the teachings of Jesus.<ref>{{Cite web |last=David |title=Victoria Osteen responds to critics: 'I did not mean to imply that we don't worship God' |url=https://christiantoday.com.au/news/victoria-osteen-responds-to-critics-i-did-not-mean-to-imply-that-we-dont-worship-god.html |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=christiantoday.com.au |language=en |archive-date=2023-01-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130193533/https://christiantoday.com.au/news/victoria-osteen-responds-to-critics-i-did-not-mean-to-imply-that-we-dont-worship-god.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Book publishing ==
Osteen's first book, entitled ''Love Your Life: Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole'' ({{ISBN|978-0743296984}}) was published by [[Simon & Schuster]] and released for sale on October 14, 2008. It debuted at number 2 on the New York Times Bestsellers list. With 750,000 copies, the initial printing of ''Love Your Life'' was one of the largest by any US publisher in 2008.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=632978&er=9780743296939
|date=October 11, 2008
|access-date=2008-10-11
|title=Love Your Life: Living Happy, Healthy, and Whole
|publisher=Simon Says
|archive-date=2008-11-15
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081115215807/http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=632978&er=9780743296939
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

In January 2009, Osteen released children's books published by Simon & Schuster's [[Little Simon]] imprint. Her five-year agreement with Simon & Schuster covers 13 books for children, including a [[Bible]].

== Personal life ==
On April 4, 1987, Victoria Osteen (née Iloff) married [[Joel Osteen]], with whom she would later become co-pastors of Lakewood Church. They have a son and daughter.<ref>{{cite web|last1=McCaugherty|first1=Stephen|title=Joel Osteen's Kids & Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know|url=https://heavy.com/entertainment/2020/04/joel-osteen-kids-family/|access-date=30 September 2020|website=Heavy.com|date=11 April 2020|publisher=Heavy, Inc.|archive-date=19 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019214618/https://heavy.com/entertainment/2020/04/joel-osteen-kids-family/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In December 2005, on a [[Continental Airlines]] flight from [[Houston]] to [[Vail, Colorado|Vail]], a flight attendant accused Osteen of shoving her after a request was made about liquid on her armrest; this claim was disputed by witnesses.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/us/15houston.html | title = Jury Finds Pastor Did Not Assault a Flight Attendant | work = New York Times | date = August 14, 2008 | access-date = April 1, 2018 | archive-date = April 2, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180402035620/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/us/15houston.html | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-08-12-211200623_x.htm?loc=interstitialskip |date=August 13, 2008 |access-date=2008-10-11 |title=Passengers Back Osteen, Say They Saw No Assault |publisher=USA Today |archive-date=2008-12-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205041254/http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-08-12-211200623_x.htm?loc=interstitialskip |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3538956.html |date=December 21, 2005 |access-date=2011-04-03 |title=Osteen family leaves plane after dispute – FBI agent says the pastor's wife didn't follow a flight attendant's instructions |publisher=The Houston Chronicle |archive-date=2005-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051230080224/http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3538956.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The FAA fined Osteen $3,000, and the flight attendant, Sharon Brown, subsequently filed a civil suit against Osteen, seeking $405,000 in damages. A Houston jury sided with Osteen, with the foreman calling the lawsuit a waste of time,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5586434 |date=August 15, 2008 |access-date=October 10, 2022 |title=Osteen's Wife Cleared in Assault Suit |work=ABC News |archive-date=October 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010165236/https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5586434 |url-status=live }}</ref> clearing her of civil liability in August 2008.<ref name=NYT/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website}}
*[http://Lakewood.cc Lakewood Church's web site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001018024013/http://lakewood.cc/ |date=2000-10-18 }}
*{{IMDb name|2799916}}

{{Portal bar|Texas}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Osteen, Victoria}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Writers from Huntsville, Alabama]]
[[Category:University of Houston alumni]]
[[Category:American Pentecostal pastors]]
[[Category:Pentecostals from Alabama]]
[[Category:Pentecostals from Texas]]
[[Category:Writers from Houston]]