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Wife of ex-Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz is suffering PTSD, depression

The wife of disgraced former Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz claims she is suffering from PTSD amid the scandals surrounding the couple — including sexual abuse allegations leveled against her famous husband.

Laura Lentz, 43, penned an emotional Instagram post on Thursday, claiming she has also experienced anxiety and depression since Carl, also 43, was fired from the evangelical megachurch last November.

At the time, Carl — a celebrity pastor who baptized Justin Bieber — admitted he had been unfaithful to Laura, to whom he has been married since 2003.

Laura, who also worked at Hillsong, was similarly fired from the megachurch.

In May, the couple’s former nanny, Leona Kimes, accused Carl of repeated sexual misconduct her between 2011 and 2017, while Kimes said Laura was “bullying” toward her and “blamed and silenced” Kimes when she addressed the alleged abuse with the Lentzes. The family has denied those allegations.

The Post has reached out to both Hillsong and Lentz’s reps for comment.

Laura has remained relatively tight-lipped about the toll the drama has taken on her — until Thursday’s Instagram post.

“It may not mean much to you but this past year was a doozy for our family,” she wrote.

Carl and Laura Lentz are pictured with their three children.
Carl and Laura Lentz are pictured with their three children. Courtesy of @carllentz

“I have dealt with so much personally,” she continued. “I have never experienced anxiety or PTSD until this year! I have struggled with a mild depression for many years, but this year it got to be so bad that there were days I didn’t want to get out of bed.”

Laura — who has children Ava, 17, Charlie, 15, and Roman, 12, with Carl — added: “Every day I feel the trauma, the thoughts and memories.”

But the Australia-born brunette says she is trying to see the harrowing experience in a positive light, as she continues to work on her 18-year marriage to Carl.

“Although I wouldn’t wish my journey on my worst enemy (I apparently have a few), I would not change my story!!” she defiantly stated.

“I know as I continue on my journey of healing, learning to put myself first, focus on my family and grow in my marriage, I can use my story so far to help someone else.”

She optimistically concluded: “We all have scars from many of life’s experiences, and I am choosing to see mine as BEAUTIFUL.”

Laura — who is embarking on a new career as an interior designer — last spoke out back in May, just before Kimes came forward with her allegations.

“I have taken time away from social media because it was not good for my soul, I have blocked & deleted more people & comments than I can count. Trolls are cowards, SOME ‘Christians’ are anything but kind, gracious, or loving … but that won’t stop me from growing upwards & getting stronger,” she wrote on May 5.

On May 31, Kimes published her explosive expose on Medium, with allegations she later confirmed were about the Lentzes.

Carl Lentz has vehemently denied the sexual assault allegations.
Carl Lentz has vehemently denied the sexual misconduct allegations. AP

“He would ask me to rub his feet when he would come home or rub his tired muscles after playing basketball,” Kimes alleged. “Then the physical encounters escalated. While he never had intercourse with me and never kissed me, I was physically violated by his unwanted and repeated sexual touching of my intimate areas. I froze. Every time, I froze.”

Lentz has vehemently denied the allegations.

Last November, Lentz admitted to having a fiery five-month fling with a New York fashion designer, who told her story in an exclusive interview with The Post.