God Forbid: The S*x Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty - 5 things to know about evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr.

American attorney Jerry Falwell Jr. is more widely known as the evangelical leader and former president of Liberty University, who landed in a scandalous controversy in August 2020.

The recently released Hulu documentary, God Forbid: The S*x Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty, focuses on this controversy and follows former “poolboy” Giancarlo Granda's narration of the details of his scandalous relationship with Jerry and his wife, Becki Falwell.

God Forbid: The S*x Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty premiered on Hulu on November 1, 2022. Apart from going into the intimate details of Granda's relationship with Becki Falwell, the documentary also explores Jerry Falwell's ties with former President Donald Trump and how the 2020 controversy influenced the presidential election.

Without any further ado, here are five lesser-known facts about Jerry Falwell.

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Jerry Falwell is a Trump supporter and four other facts that you might not know

1) He has been an ardent supporter of Donald Trump

Both Jerry Falwell and his wife, Becki, have been ardent supporters of former President Donald Trump. Falwell supported Trump's conservative policies and called him “America's blue collar billionaire” and “one of the greatest visionaries of our time.” He even compared Trump to Winston Churchill and invited him to give the commencement address at Liberty University in 2017.

Falwell actively promoted most of the conspiracy theories and false news that were being circulated during the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He also chose to reopen Liberty University despite experts' advice against it and undermined the effects of the virus.

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2) He met his wife when she was 13

According to the book Falwell Inc.: Inside a Religious, Political, Educational, and Business Empire by Dirk Smillie, Jerry Falwell met his wife, Becki Tilley, when she was 13. The couple began dating when Jerry was pursuing law at the University of Virginia and Becki was in her freshman year at the same university.

The couple married in 1987 at the Prayer Chapel at Liberty University. They have three children together, two sons, Charles Wеѕlеу and Jerry “Trey” Falwell III, and a daughter, Саrоlіnе Grасе. The couple stayed together for a long time, even after the allegations from Granda surfaced.

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3) He holds multiple degrees

Falwell graduated from the private school Lynchburg Christian Academy in 1980. In 1984, he attended Liberty University to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in History and Religious Studies. In 1987, he went to the University of Virginia School of Law to become a Juris Doctor.

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4) He is the former president of Liberty University

After his father's death in 2007, Jerry Falwell was appointed as the president of Liberty University. He served in the post until his resignation amidst the scandalous controversy in 2020. Falwell helped the school grow from 37,000 students to 90,000. He also helped Liberty University to raise $120 million in bonds.

During Falwell's tenure, the university was also awarded an AA rating from Standard & Poors in 2010. Falwell used this rating to secure tax-exempt bonds for the school to upgrade facilities such as visitor centers and health and science buildings.

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4) His brother is now the campus pastor at Liberty University

Jerry Falwell's brother, Rev. Jonathan Falwell, started his career by becoming a minister in his father's Thomas Road Baptist Church. Following the resignation of his elder brother, the trustees of Liberty University named Jonathan as the university's pastor and vice president of spiritual affairs in April 2021.

Jonathan earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Liberty University in 1987 and his Master of Arts in Religion from the Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 1996. Like his brother, he also holds a law degree from William Howard Taft University in Santa Ana, California.