Jimmy Swaggart, televangelist felled by sex scandal, dies at 90

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

July 1, 2025 at 11:12 a.m. EDT


Jimmy Swaggart, an itinerant Louisiana preacher who became one of the most popular and polarizing Christian televangelists of his generation before a sex scandal — etched in public memory by his tear-streaked televised confession — consigned him to relative obscurity, died July 1. He was 90.

Jimmy Swaggart Ministries announced the death but did not share additional details. His son Donnie Swaggart, a fellow pastor, said on June 15 that his father went into cardiac arrest and was hospitalized in Baton Rouge.

Mr. Swaggart was one of a handful of televangelists who rose to global prominence in the second half of the 20th century, among them Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, and Jerry Falwell.

At his peak, in the late 1980s, Mr. Swaggart reached millions of viewers in the United States and more than 100 other countries. His broadcasts generated revenue of $140 million a year with a signature combination of fire and brimstone, musical performances and the relentless marketing of Swaggart-branded items, including Bible study manuals, T-shirts, records, tapes, mugs, plates, Roman coins and copies of Jesus’ crown of thorns. At its height, his Baton Rouge-based ministry operated the largest mail-order business in Louisiana.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2025/07/01/jimmy-swaggart-televangelist-dead/

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No paywall (gift)

[Tarzanrock]

1. Hell welcomes a new citizen.

[Srkdqltr]

2. About damned time

[lapfog_1]

3. Hell is burning a little hotter today

if you believe in such things.

[chowder66]

23. That explains our heat dome!

[Sibelius Fan]

4. Great news!

There’s no hell. Just glad that asshole is dead.

[orleans]

5. wow - what the hell took so long? nt

[colorado_ufo]

48. Perhaps it could be said,

'What took the Hell so long?"

[Ocelot II]

6. I thought Satan had called him home years ago, but

maybe I'm mixing him up with other Hell-bound grifting TV preachers like Pat Robertson.

[Moostache]

57. Me too (all irony intended)...

I assume that worthless criminal grifter had died in some squalid hell hole years ago.
Good riddance to bad garbage. If I believed in an actual "Hell" he would be one of the rotational gatekeepers for sure.

[hlthe2b]

7. As I posted to malaise's thread Sunday, these harbingers have been loud on my pre-dawn walk

--with the pup.... Clearly THEY knew something...

[tonekat]

8. Good Riddance

To a hateful, greedy waste of good air.

[eShirl]

9. so is Jim Bakker the last man standing?

Mr. Swaggart was one of a handful of televangelists who rose to global prominence in the second half of the 20th century, among them Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, and Jerry Falwell.

[valleyrogue]

21. Just about.

He is 85 years old, and his health hasn't been that great in recent years. He has battled strokes, so he is absent from his television program quite a bit.

[wolfie001]

30. Today's sick evangelicals preach about shooting gay people

Mainly because of the leadership of that fat orange racist homophobic imbecile.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. Not nice, but 'hurrah'.

[wolfie001]

31. The works for me!

I thought the f6cker was already dead.

[eShirl]

11. Here's my long distance dedication to Jimmy Swaggart

[JoseBalow]

52. Frank's dedication was epic...

Texas Motel Medley

(9:05)

The Texas Medley or Texas Motel Medley is a brief suite that was featured by Zappa in his 1988 tour beginning in late February, 1988. It consists of three Beatles songs with the words re-written to reflect the recent exposure of evangelist Jim Swaggart with a prostitute in a Louisiana motel on February 21, 1988. The medley was apparently first performed on February 28, exactly one week later.

The suite consists of the following three songs:

Norwegian Wood - re-styled as "Norwegian Jim", the words describe the encounter of Swaggart with a prostitute. An amusing insertion is the repetition of a riff from Leonard Bernstein's song "I Feel Pretty" from "West Side Story."
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - re-styled as "Louisiana Hooker with Herpes" with appropriate lyrics.
Strawberry Fields Forever - re-styled as "Texas Motel", but the refrain changes constantly.

Zappa targets, in addition to Swaggart, fellow evangelists Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, as well as Reagan administration figures, John Poindexter and Edward Meese. The last two are usually referenced at the end of some incomprehensible lyric (often from the original song) as "actual testimony" probably meant as a reference to the less than candid public testimony of these figures at the Iran-Contra hearings in 1987.

https://wiki.killuglyradio.com/wiki/Texas_Medley

[atreides1]

12. Wow!

I thought he was already dead!

[wolfie001]

32. I came by to see how many times this is posted

I thought so too!

[Skittles]

89. I think that was just wishful thinking

yes indeed

[Basso8vb]

13. Scumbags live far too long.

I hope he was in pain.

[DinahMoeHum]

14. May he Rest In Piss.

[Autumn]

15. Enjoy your stay in the hell of your creation fucker.

[wolfie001]

33. lol

[SpankMe]

16. I'm surprised he lasted this long

I assumed his body was rattled by VD and he'd have succumbed sooner.

[wolfie001]

34. He was probably taking anti-AIDS drug cocktails

That would be a fitting way for him to live the rest of his pathetic, soulless days.

[MIButterfly]

17. I have absolutely no respect for televangelists whatsoever.

Charlatans and con men, every damn one of them.

Just like I've never had any respect for doctors and psychiatrists who go on TV (Dr. Joyce Brothers; Dr. Oz; "Dr." Phil, etc.) I think they demean their professions.

As for Jimmy Swaggart, I don't celebrate his death, but I don't mourn it, either. I really don't care.

Updated: ambivalent was the wrong term to use. I guess I didn't really know the meaning of it like I thought I did.

[wolfie001]

35. I love love love that Lady Preacher who ran her church adjacent to the WH!!!

She's a brave woman who stood up to that fat orange hate-filled bastard. She spoke those touching words at the Washington Cathedral!

[Hassin Bin Sober]

18. I hope it hurt

[Dan]

19. May he go straight to the hell he preached about.

[Pototan]

20. I thought he was already dead

Good riddance.

[valleyrogue]

22. It sucked he outlived his cousins Jerry Lee Lewis and Mickey Gilley. n/t

[mwmisses4289]

29. Wow, didn't know he was related to them.

Back in my young, dumb and stupid days, friends and I would spend time at Gilleys club. It closed down in the 1980's or 1990's due various legal issues. Good times.

[republianmushroom]

24. Thank God and Greyhound you're gone.

[BattleRow]

44. Greyhound express..straight to destination,no stopping along the way!

[MLWR]

25. My first thought, when I read this was

"I don't care, do U?"

[wolfie001]

36. Melanoma-inspired retort!

Love it!

[Marthe48]

26. And God says

Darn! I missed.

[AverageOldGuy]

27. Little known fact.

"The Killer" -- Jerry Lee Lewis (1935 - 2022) -- and Swaggart were cousins. Both of them grew up in the Southern Pentecostal tradition. Swaggart took up preaching while Jerry Lee learned and perfected his piano playing. Jimmy should have taken up the piano. (Yes, I know, Jerry Lee married his underage cousin, but, hey . . . what can I say?)

Meanwhile, for you who don't know The Killer and his music -- here's the Wikipedia article.

&list=RDlgCNOsSYP4I&start_radio=1

[swong19104]

28. 60 years

too late.

[niyad]

37. good riddaance, you grifting scum.

[Jacson6]

38. St. Peter is going to make him head atom smasher!

[Marcuse]

39. !

[Wounded Bear]

41. Fake crying seems to be a major new requirement for RWers any more...nt

[progressoid]

54. Except for MAGAs.

They just lie and call it fake news.

[Wounded Bear]

40. At least 50 years too late...nt

[lastlib]

42. I want to make repeated calls to his church and ask to speak to him!

They'll keep telling me he's dead, and I just love hearing them say that!

[Remball]

43. Salvation?

If he repented his sins and truly accepted Jesus Christ as his savior while living, he has been forgiven of his sins and has not been relegated to Hell. It is never too late to do so.

[Jacson6]

46. Yeah, But St. Peter can make him head atom smasher!

[BattleRow]

47. A noble and generous sentiment.

However,the record reflects less repent than respent of millions of donations dollars for dubious purchases.

[marble falls]

75. Word!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

87. Welcome to DU

[RedArkGuy]

92. And that is one of the problems with Christianity

Kill, maim, torture, steal, blasphemize, etc and it's all just fine as long as you say the magic words before you go.

I don't buy it and I think it permits alleged Christians to do their worst because they can just wish it all away later.

[greatauntoftriplets]

45. Bye!

I won't miss him one bit.

[JoseBalow]

49. Adios, Fucko!

[twodogsbarking]

50. The feel good story of the day.

&t=7s

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

51. Dammit! I was hoping he would outlive a certain president. nt

[hunter]

73. Maybe we can have a threefer...

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

53. Burn in hell Swaggart

If there is a hell you know he's there.

[bucolic_frolic]

55. Metaphormosis into the Big Beautiful

Perfect timing.

[yourout]

56. A morsel of good news on an all-around crappy day.

[angrychair]

58. This is exactly why

I'm now against medical research dramatically extending our lives.

Could you imagine what our world would be like if these people could live healthy lives for hundreds of years?!?

[Grokenstein]

59. Satan: "Well done, my servant. Time to come home."

Swaggart: "Can I take it with me?"
Satan: (laughs)

[biophile]

60. The devil claims what belongs to him

[Ray Bruns]

61. What's the bad news?

[From The Ashes]

62. My momma always said I should say something good about the dead...

Jimmy Swaggart has died, so (quoting myself here) 'GOOD!'

[Martin Eden]

63. My mother taught me to only speak good of the dead.

Jimmy Swaggert is dead.

Good.

[LudwigPastorius]

64. Can we be so lucky as to hit a trifecta with Robert Tilton and Benny Hinn?

🙏

[doc03]

65. Satan called him home. nt

[llmart]

66. Finally...

some good news for today.

[mgardener]

67. This is my reply....

“I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure,”
Clarance Darrow

[CTyankee]

68. Was he the guy who went on TV and cried "Oh, Lord! I have sinned!"

Never mind. Found it!

[Bengus81]

78. Then probably asked his flock to send $100 for all the tissues he was using

Good riddance you POS!

[eppur_se_muova]

69. So, the Good Lord wasn't in a hurry to have him back ? Oh wait .... maybe he was from elsewhere ... nt

[Linda ladeewolf]

70. I'm waiting for the scandal that topples Ostein, I just know their is one lurking somewhere!

[Justice Brandeis]

71. He was a bad man

One less vote for their side.

[area51]

72. I wish #DementiaDonnie would join Swaggart in hell. n/t

[kskiska]

74. Swaggart, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Mickey Gilley were cousins.

[no_hypocrisy]

76. Elmer Gantry bites the dust.

[._.]

77. All I can say is..

Thank God!

[SamKnause]

79. A fraudster, shyster, con man, grifter, has died. Oh well.

[Bengus81]

80. Hoping for quick end to SCAM artist Jim Bakker. He's 85,hope he never sees 86....

[Abstractartist]

81. Too bad

Hey Jimmy, I’ll bet that’s not the Baton Rouge heat you are feeling now… I’m thinking it’s some other hot place you deserve to spend eternity.🔥

[EuterpeThelo]

82. My first thought...

At least Ozzy outlived him!

[karynnj]

83. He deserves it, but imagine one of two identifiers in an obituary headline is sex scandal

I wonder if his family and associates see how tarnished his legacy is that the prominent WP included this

[valleyrogue]

84. He completely and totally destroyed his reputation with the scandal.

Rival televangelist Marvin Gorman, who died in 2017, was responsible for it. Swaggart publicly smeared him with adultery charges, but what Swaggart didn't know apparently Gorman had a son who was a cop. That cop kept tabs on Swaggart, ultimately discovering he was cavorting with prostitutes like Debra Murphree. Swaggart was caught with Murphree at an Airline Highway motel in Metairie, Louisiana, and the rest is history. Gorman sued Swaggart for defamation for $10 million, but it was settled out of court for $1.8 million.

Swaggart had been in the forefront of ousting Jim Bakker, along with Jerry Falwell and John Ankerberg, when Bakker had taken some time off to go to California to take care of then-wife Tammy Faye, who was dealing with ill health and substance abuse issues. It was the perfect opportunity for those people to try and seize control of PTL, which they did. Bakker was never allowed back. Swaggart for his part did this as revenge because Bakker yanked Swaggart's show from his network. Swaggart was increasingly engaging in anti-Catholic rants, and Bakker wanted nothing of the kind on the PTL Network, which broadcast in many Catholic-dominated countries.

Marvin Gorman's lawyer went into detail about the Swaggart scandal in his book, Let Us Prey.

As for Swaggart, he is a prime example of FAFO.

[karynnj]

86. Wow, thanks. I knew very little of this

- just the seemingly never ending headlines of disgraced evangelical leaders.

[valleyrogue]

88. Lots of skullduggery went on behind the scenes.

What we got in the media just scratched the surface.

It is endlessly fascinating. I watched most of those shows years ago.

[Xolodno]

90. Most don't know just how cut throat the tele-evangelist industry is.

They will shiv you the second they have the chance. You are not considered a "brother", you are a rival that is taking "donation" money from them. Thus, they want you out of the way.

[valleyrogue]

91. And the Bakker scandal showed that to all the world just how

cutthroat it was and is.

Tammy Faye Messner had little good to say about Jerry Falwell because Falwell took over PTL in order to get the satellite network. He deliberately bankrupted PTL in order to get it, but in the end, he failed. Compared to many of his rivals, Jim Bakker was a saint. Swaggart, Falwell, John Ankerberg and others undercut Bakker when Bakker went to Palm Springs in order to be with Tammy when she was having ill health and substance abuse problems. These snakes wouldn't let Bakker back. Swaggart knew about the Hahn payoffs and other things, but he was out for revenge when Bakker kicked him and his show off his network for the anti-Catholic rants.

[Brainfodder]

85. Satan got a new floor scrubber!

Well earned Jimmy!