A mayor and pastor reportedly ended his life days after a conservative website published an article with photos of him allegedly wearing women’s clothing and makeup.
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F.L. Copeland, the mayor of Smiths Station and pastor at First Baptist Church of Phenix City, died early Friday evening, as reported by AL.com. Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said Copeland died around 5 p.m. after he was pulled over by police after a slow pursuit and used a handgun to end his life. “He exited the vehicle, produced a handgun, and took his own life,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. His death occurred two days after 1819 News published the article with screenshots of Copeland allegedly wearing women’s clothing and makeup.
On Wednesday, Copeland addressed the report and apologized to his church members for his private life being exposed to the public eye: “The article is not who or what I am….I apologize for any embarrassment caused by my private and personal life that has become public. This will not cause my life to change. This will not waiver my devotion to my family, serving my city, serving my church,”
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“God will always protect you, take care of you. He will see you through anything, absolutely anything.”
Copeland was elected as mayor in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. He gained nationwide attention for his response to a deadly tornado that killed 23 people in Lee County and toured with former President Donald Trump to visit the devastated areas.
1819 News wrote in their article that Copeland allegedly had a secret life as a transgender woman under the name Brittini Blaire Summerlin. The report also showed screenshots of hidden Reddit pages and a private Instagram account. He reportedly also wrote fan fiction on various websites under the pseudonym. The outlet claims he asked them to delete the article to protect his family and job as a pastor.
“After the interview, Copeland promptly deleted the accounts and asked them not to be made public due to his family and position as a pastor. Copeland initially denied having any knowledge of the accounts, but when he was made aware of the social media evidence, he quickly admitted to running the page. He also said that his wife was aware of his activity, but no one else in the community. Copeland told 1819 News dressing up as a woman has been a “hobby” since youth as a release from anxiety.”
