Stuti Gokhale
Lifetime’s ‘Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation’ is a compelling biopic that chronicles the life of Gwen Shamblin Lara, a Tennessee-based church leader and diet guru known for her Christian diet program. Throughout her life, she often found herself embroiled in several controversies regarding her practices and the abuse allegations against her and other church leaders by former members. Following the religious leader’s death in May 2021, her children, Michael and Elizabeth, took up the mantle at the church and were thrust into the limelight. Now, if you wish to know more about them and their current status, here’s what we found.
Who Are Michael and Elizabeth Shamblin?
Originally from Memphis, Tennesse, Gwen tied the knot with her first husband, David Shamblin, in 1978. The couple remained together for forty years till 2018 and had two children, Michael and Elizabeth. Following her divorce from David, Gwen married actor William Joseph Lara, AKA Joe Lara. Her son, Michael Shamblin, is a popular musician who debuted in 2011 with his single, ‘Keep Your Guard Up.’ His first album, ‘Golden Streets,’ was released in 2014; since then, he has produced four albums.
Michael primarily dabbles in Christian and rock genres and often composed the background score for his mother’s live events for her church, the Remnant Fellowship. He has also produced music under True Religion Records and has written musicals for the church and Gwen’s Weigh Down Workshops. On the personal front, Michael has four children with his former wife, Erin Frisby Shamblin. This includes three daughters named Gabriele, Garland, and Gates, and a son, Christian. Following Gwen’s death, Michael took over a leadership role at the Remnant Fellowship.
On the other hand, Gwen’s daughter, Elizabeth Hannah (née Shamblin), was a prominent youth leader in Remnant Fellowship during her early years. She tied the knot with Brandon Hannah in 2003, eventually having four children: Grace, Gweneth, Gloria, and Charles Grantham. Brandon was a successful realtor who died in the tragic plane crash on May 29, 2021, which also claimed Gwen and Joe Lara’s lives. After her husband and mother’s death, Elizabeth turned to her religious faith for relief and took over the late diet guru’s leadership responsibilities in the church.
Michael and Elizabeth Shamblin Are Focusing on Their Life Today
Although Michael initially became a leader with the Remnant Fellowship, he ended his association with the church sometime in 2022. Besides, he and Erin separated around the same time, and he seemingly doesn’t live with them anymore. According to the HBO docuseries ‘The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin,’ Michael reportedly struggled with mental health, infidelity, and body image issues throughout his adult life.
According to former members, the musician had left the Remnant Fellowship on more than one instance to pursue an independent music career and allegedly felt trapped under his familial responsibilities to the church. Nevertheless, Michael has now embraced complete privacy and has zero presence on social media. Now known as Michael S. Black, he is in his 40s and resides in Brentwood, Tennessee, preferring to stay away from the public eye. In October 2022, he released a song named ‘Down,’ to share his experiences of loss.
Meanwhile, even Elizabeth lives with her four kids in Brentwood and is quite close to her father and former sister-in-law. She is still an active leader with the Remnant Fellowship and often propagates the church’s preachings to the masses. Elizabeth hopes to carry forward her late mother’s legacy and help the masses find a relationship with God. In addition, she is a hands-on mom to her kids and strives to fulfill her beloved husband’s dreams of giving them a good Christian upbringing.
Read More: Gwen Shamblin’s Net Worth at the Time of Her Death
