Under pressure from two sex scandals involving his wife and himself, Jerry Falwell Jr. has resigned as president of Liberty University - one of the largest evangelical Christian schools in the world. Falwell is a leading evangelical backer of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Falwell, who claims to be a devout evangelical Christian, was charged with hypocrisy by the school's board of trustees for refusing to step down. Falwell was asked to resign after a racy photo made public showed him - with his pants unzipped and underwear visible - with his arm around his wife's pregnant young assistant. Her shorts were unzipped, too.
Falwell's indiscretion, however, may pale in comparison to that of his wife whose sixyear-long affair with a man in his 20s was exposed a few days ago.
Becki Tilley Falwell, 53, also claiming to be a devout Christian, and a mother of three, engaged in an adulterous relationship with pool boy Giancarlo Granda who was 20 when they began their affair in 2012. Granda said Falwell consented to his affair with his wife. He said Falwell was sometimes even in the room watching as he had sex with Falwell's wife.
The sordid story tearing apart Falwell's personal and business life was revealed by Reuters. In an interview Granda admitted to a long-running affair with Falwell's wife.
Granda said their relationship started in 2012 and continued until 2018. He said he sometimes had sex with Becki Falwell while her husband was watching. Granda gave Reuters texts, audio recordings, videos and other material to prove his account of a sexual relationship. "Becki and I developed an intimate relationship and Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room," Granda said.
He said he had sex with Becki Falwell "multiple times per year." Their liaisons took place at hotels in Miami and New York. They sometimes even had sex at Falwell's home in Virginia.
Falwell on Sunday admitted to the Washington Examiner that "Becki had an inappropriate personal relationship with this person - something in which I was not involved."
He said Granda became "increasingly angry and aggressive" as his affair with Becki Falwell continued. He claimed Granda tried to extort him in exchange for his keeping silent about the affair.
Falwell has been unable to present proof of Granda's extortion, however. Granda denied Falwell's allegation.
The honor code of Liberty University states that "sexual relations outside of a biblically ordained marriage between a natural-born man and a natural-born woman are not permissible at Liberty University."
On Monday, Jerry Falwell resigned as president of Liberty University. He then changed his mind and said he was on leave. The university's board, however, met to discuss his ouster. Falwell apparently resigned instead of being fired. The university later issued a statement saying Falwell had changed his mind.
"On the first day of classes of Liberty University's fall term, Jerry Falwell Jr, agreed to resign as its president and from its board of directors but, following media reports about the resignation, withdrew it." Falwell later confirmed his resignation.
