- A business partner of
Jerry Falwell Jr . says he had a lengthy sexual relationship with the evalengical leader and his wife, Reuters reported. - Giancarlo Granda, the business partner, claims the relationship involved him having sex with Falwell's wife, Becki, while the
evangelical leader watched. - Falwell is fervently denying that he was involved in the relationship, but did not deny his wife's involvement.
- "Becki had an inappropriate personal relationship with this person, something in which I was not involved," Falwell said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
- Falwell was an early supporter of President
Donald Trump and has had a close relationship with the Trump administration. - Falwell resigned from
Liberty University after the Reuters report. The university announced his resignation had been accepted on Tuesday.
Jerry Falwell Jr., perhaps the most prominent evangelical leader in the US, is fervently denying a bombshell Reuters report that says he had a years-long sexual relationship involving his wife, Becki Falwell, and a business partner.
Giancarlo Granda, the business partner, told Reuters that that the relationship involved him having sex with Becki while Jerry looked on.
"Becki had an inappropriate personal relationship with this person, something in which I was not involved," Falwell said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
Michael Bowe, a lawyer for Falwell, told Reuters that the evangelical leader "categorically denies everything you indicated you intend to publish about him."
Granda said he met the Falwells while working as a pool attendant at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel in March 2012, where the relationship reportedly began. He showed Reuters emails, text messages, and other evidence that he said proved the relationship existed. Granda said the relationship lasted until 2018.
Falwell denies he was personally involved in the sexual relationship, and in his statement to the Examiner accused Granda of attempting to extort him over the affair, an allegation that Granda vehemently denied.
"Any allegation of extortion is falsely, defamatory and belied by clear documentary evidence," Granda said in an email to the Examiner.
The Falwells went into business with Granda around 2013 after buying a Miami youth hostel. A representative of the Falwell family in 2018 told BuzzFeed News that Granda, who acted as manager of the hostel, was "offered a share" the Alton Hostel.
Until recently, Falwell was best known as the president of the evangelical Liberty University, which was founded by his father, Jerry Falwell Sr. But in early August, the university announced Falwell was taking an "indefinite" leave of absence.
This came after Falwell, an early supporter of President Donald Trump, posted and deleted a photo of himself on a yacht with his pants unzipped and his arm around a woman, prompting heavy criticism.
"If you're running the largest Christian university in America maybe don't put photos of yourself on social media with your pants undone on a yacht — with random women in bad wigs. So gross, so hypocritical," Meghan McCain, host of "The View," said at the time.
Students at Liberty University are required to adhere to a strict code of conduct. "Cleanliness, neatness, appropriateness, and modesty are the general guiding factors with regard to dress," the university states. This honor code explicits bans students from having pre-marital sex and from same-sex dating, saying "sexual relations outside of a biblically-ordained marriage between a natural-born man and a natural-born woman are not permissible at Liberty University."
Falwell has resigned from the university. Though there was some back and forth between Falwell, the media, and Liberty University on the matter, the university on Tuesday announced that it had accepted his resignation.
"The Liberty University Board of Trustees acted today to accept the resignation of Jerry Falwell, Jr. as its President and Chancellor and also accepted his resignation from its Board of Directors. All were effective immediately," the university said in a statement. "After agreeing yesterday to immediately resign then reversing course, Falwell, through an attorney, sent the resignation letter late last night to members of the Board's Executive Committee pursuant to the terms of his contract of employment."