Joni Lamb, co-founder and president of Daystar Television Network, has died at the age of 65, the ministry said on Thursday. The network further added that Lamb had been dealing with serious health issues before a recent back injury worsened her condition. However, an official cause of death was not released immediately. As tributes poured in, Lamb’s sweet messages for President Donald Trump surfaced.
Daystar’s heartfelt announcement
“Joni’s love for the Lord and for the people we serve shaped this ministry from the beginning,” the Daystar board of directors said in a statement. “We grieve her loss. We are grateful for the legacy of faith she leaves behind.”
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Health struggles and back injury
The ministry shared new details about Lamb’s health after announcing her death, saying she had intentionally kept many of her medical issues private.
“Prior to her recent back injury, Lamb had been dealing with serious health matters that she chose to face head-on and in private,” the statement read. “The back injury compounded these challenges and led to a more serious medical situation than anyone had anticipated. Despite the dedicated efforts of her medical team and the prayers of so many around the world, her condition worsened in the last days.”
Last month, Lamb’s husband, Doug Weiss, had announced that she would temporarily step away from broadcasting after suffering a back injury.
Read More: Joni Lamb family: Who were her husbands, Doug Weiss and Marcus Lamb? All on their kids
Joni Lamb’s message for Trump
Only weeks before her death, on January 30, Lamb posted about Daystar’s contribution to Trump Accounts.
“I am happy to announce that @Daystar will provide a dollar-for-dollar match of the federal government’s $1,000 contribution to the 503A @TrumpAccounts established for every eligible employee’s newborn baby. This is our way of putting action behind what we believe – that from the moment a life enters this world, it deserves to be celebrated, protected, and invested in,” she wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
How Daystar became a global network
Lamb founded Daystar in 1993 alongside her first husband, Marcus Lamb. What began as a small Christian television station later expanded into one of the largest faith-based television networks in the world through cable, satellite, streaming and digital platforms.
Over the years, Lamb became one of the most recognizable personalities in Christian broadcasting, hosting programs, interviewing ministry leaders and helping shape faith-based television programming worldwide.
The network also confirmed that Lamb had already worked with leadership to establish a succession plan before her death.
In a statement, Daystar said an executive leadership team is already in place and “Programming will proceed as scheduled, with on-air tributes to follow in the coming days.”
Marcus Lamb’s death and later family tensions
Marcus Lamb died in 2021 after contracting COVID-19. During the pandemic, he became widely known for criticizing vaccines and supporting alternative treatments including hydroxychloroquine.
In 2023, Joni Lamb married Weiss, a move that sparked tension within the family. Her son, Jonathan Lamb, publicly opposed the marriage and later became involved in a wider dispute over the future leadership of Daystar.
The family conflict escalated in 2024 after Jonathan and his wife accused Joni Lamb of covering up abuse allegations involving their daughter. Lamb repeatedly denied the accusations.
“Daystar does not support these false allegations and is deeply saddened by Jonathan’s refusal to participate in and work toward peaceful reconciliation and relational restoration, for which Daystar and other Lamb family members had hoped,” the organization previously said in a statement.
Jonathan Lamb was later terminated from the ministry. At the time, Joni Lamb said the decision followed a lengthy review process and accused him of “fabricating a smear campaign.”
