Who was Bubba Copeland? Alabama mayor and pastor kills himself after his pics create controversy online
LEE COUNTY, ALABAMA: F.L. "Bubba" Copeland, the beloved pastor of First Baptist Church of Phenix City and mayor of Smiths Station, Alabama, died by suicide early on Friday evening in the wake of an online controversy regarding some photos of his that recently surfaced.
According to Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones, Copeland, a married father of three, "took his own life" on Friday evening, November 3, at around 5 pm, as reported by AL.com.
Recently, Copeland got himself in hot water after it was claimed in a news article that he used the moniker "Brittini Blaire Summerlin" to manage private social media profiles.
Discourse on mental health and the difficulties of public scrutiny for community leaders have been sparked by the incident, which has left residents in shock.
BREAKING: Alabama mayor and pastor Bubba Copeland commits suicide just days after a conservative news outlet with close ties to Steve Bannon and Breitbart published private photos of him wearing women’s clothing.
— Occupy Democrats (@OccupyDemocrats) November 4, 2023
The story started off describing how the pastor met with Trump to… pic.twitter.com/2kwPS2bQoo
Who was Bubba Copeland?
Born on November 1, 1961, F.L. "Bubba" Copeland was a well-known member of the Smiths Station community. He made significant contributions both during his tenure as Mayor and following a destructive tornado in 2019.
Copeland's devotion to public service and his steadfast adherence to his faith won him respect and esteem, having a profound effect on the society he served.
Apart from his political career, Copeland was a loving husband and father who left behind three children and his wife. Locals held him in high regard due to his compassionate leadership style and active participation in the community. He also owned and operated the Country Market in Salem and was a pastor at First Baptist Church of Phenix City.
However, the controversies surrounding his personal life have spurred a more in-depth discussion about the relationship between one's right to privacy and obligations as a public leader.
The community of Smiths Station, where Copeland was admired for his unselfish services and unwavering dedication to his citizens, has been rocked by his unexpected and tragic death.
What did Smiths Station and Pastor Bubba Copeland do?
Earlier this week, a lengthy report about Copeland's "secret life" was released by the Alabama nonprofit online news site 1819 News.
It included screenshots of the pastor's social media accounts, where he pretended to be "Brittini Blaire Summerlin," a Reddit user who described herself as "a transitioning transgender curvy girl [who] loves smiling, clothes and shoes!"
According to the 1819 News story published on November 1, Copeland, who has been the mayor of Smiths Station since 2016, asserted: "It’s a hobby I do to relieve stress. I have a lot of stress, and I’m not medically transitioning. It’s just a bit of a character I’m playing."
The report further alleged that Copeland was the owner of the now-deleted Instagram account @brittnisummerlin and was a regular poster on Reddit with the now-deleted profile r/brittiniblaire.
It further said that he frequently shared obscene jokes, provocative pictures of himself dressed as a woman, and transgender p*rnography.
The Smith Station resident frequently uploaded pictures of himself on the platform wearing different ensembles, including his wife's clothes.
1819 further claimed that Copeland frequently left comments on other people's posts, calling himself a “thick transgender woman” and urging other transgender people to embark on hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
The secret life of Smiths Station Mayor and Baptist pastor F.L. 'Bubba' Copeland as a 'transgender curvy girl': 'It’s a hobby I do to relieve stress' #alpolitics
— 1819 News (@1819News) November 1, 2023
By @CraigMonger1819 https://t.co/TBul39wPW8
Bubba Copeland expressed regret for 'any embarrassment caused by my private and personal life'
Besides being the main pastor of the First Baptist Church, Copeland served as mayor of Phenix City and owned a convenience shop in Lake Harding, Salem.
As per the New York Daily News, Copeland apologized to his church on Wednesday, November 1, for "any embarrassment caused by my private and personal life."
He continued by saying that the incident would not lessen his commitment to his family, "to serving [his] city and [his] church."
The mayor addressed the rumors during his Wednesday congregation, saying he was the "object of an internet attack." He batted down the claims of cross-dressing, saying it was an "attempt of humor" that was done in private.
Copeland stated, "Yes, I have taken pictures with my wife in the privacy of our home in an attempt of humor because I know I'm not a handsome man nor a beautiful woman either."
Furthermore, Copeland refused to provide any justification for his alleged hobby to the members of his church or the people of Smiths Station, as per 1819 News.
He said that his actions were "not relevant" and should only be done in his own house. He described his hobby as being similar to "dress-up" and "cosplay" on multiple occasions.
"It’s just a hobby that I have inside my own home that has not traveled outside of my home," Copeland stated, per the outlet.
"I have not done anything outside of my own home besides post or publish anything on the internet, and that does not affect anything with inside my jurisdiction," he said at the time.
state Baptist authorities expressed "serious" concerns about the pastor's "alleged unbiblical behavior" in a statement released on Thursday, November 2, per the Alabama Baptist.
They said they would seek out whether the allegations were true and provide assistance to the pastoral community.
Friends and family weigh in on Bubba Copeland's death
Online commenters include Dr Larry DiChiara, a former superintendent of schools in Phenix City, and other friends of Copeland. DiChiara paid a tribute to his friend in a Facebook post, per WRBL.
DiChiara wrote, "Please bare with me while I vent. I am so angry right now and heartbroken. I witnessed a good man be publicly ridiculed and crucified over the last few days…to the point that he just took his own life today."
DiChiara added, " knew he was suffering so I reached out to him yesterday and offered him support and encouragement. He was appreciative and acknowledged that he had been going through some “dark days” over the last few days."
He further fumed, "I just want to ask you people who thought it humorous to publicly ridicule him, “Are you happy now?” What crime did he commit? Some of you people make me sick. I hope you are really proud."
He concluded, mourning his friend, "For our brother, F.L. Bubba Copeland, May God bless your soul and forgive those who took pleasure in your suffering. They should all be ashamed!"
According to Jones, the death is being looked into by the Lee County District Attorney's Office and the Lee County Sheriff's Office.